Comfort
by xCeceVolumex
Summary: Kyoko, after a frantic call from Yashiro, goes to Ren's house, worried that he might be hurt. When things escalate, the overwhelmed girl can only hope that her sempai doesn't hate her for what she's done. RATED FOR A REASON  Will be continued
1. Comfort

_I've just been thinking about Ren's internal battle, as well as that night he—as Cain—made Kyoko—as Setsu—sleep next to him and this is what happened. I hope you all enjoy it!_

_Also, I realize that this is a very long one-shot. I just couldn't stand to break up the story with chapters._

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat!

Comfort

_The end began with a simple phone call._

Kyoko stared at the door that was definitely a bad idea to open. After Yashiro's frantic phone call half an hour before, she had practically flown on her bike to the expensive apartment building, launching herself into a familiar apartment without thought. All that had been in her mind was worry over the man who owned it and scenarios of what might have happened to the actor.

Now, however, she paused. She'd seen the empty bottles on the counter, all of them completely dry. The living room looked like it had been torn through by a burglar: the coffee table was turned over, the couch cushions all over the room and losing their stuffing. Even the large screen TV was lying face down on the floor. Small bits of glass were strewn everywhere, though she wasn't sure where it came from. If she hadn't been aware of the incredible security in the building, she might have thought that he was actually hurt and she might have not stopped at his bedroom door.

But she couldn't. Not only had he yelled at Yashiro that he didn't need his help, but he'd drank an excessive amount and destroyed his entire living room. Whatever had happened, it had deeply upset him. Did she want to invite herself into that situation? What if he didn't _want_ her to be involved?

Could she just ignore it though? Hope that he got better by himself?

Except Yashiro had warned her that he needed to be at work the next day. He was worried that the man he managed wouldn't show up, would forget about it. And how would he feel when he woke up to a pig sty in the morning?

Cursing herself for her cowardice, Kyoko turned away from the bedroom door, moving into the living room. She found the source of the glass: a broken bottle that had been thrown against the wall. After cleaning up the glass and taking care of it with only a small cut on her left pointer finger, she righted the television set, grateful to find that it had only fallen not broken. She picked up the extra fluff from the couch cushions, fixing them to look as natural as possible before she placed them back on the couch. Gently righting the coffee table, she froze when it hit the floor with a loud thunk, hoping that she hadn't bothered the man in the bedroom. She wanted to give him time to calm down before she went to him, even if she had to pretend like she had just "stopped by".

In the kitchen, she washed the dishes in the sink and threw away the dry bottles. Though she wasn't sure why, she wanted to prepare the apartment for him in the morning. She didn't want him to dwell on whatever had happened that night that could have caused such raw emotion from him.

Then she cleaned the entire apartment, knowing that she was just stalling. At some point, she was going to have to return to the bedroom and actually talk to her sempai. She couldn't just sneak out after scrubbing his home until it shined without potentially upsetting him.

Almost three hours after she'd arrived at this "bachelor pad", she stood in the hallway, wiping sweat from her brow as she gazed at all her hard work. It was beautiful to say the least.

Still, she hadn't heard a peep from the bedroom. Maybe she could just...

No. She had to stay. She had to help him through whatever had happened. Because she owed him for all the times that he had helped her when he didn't have to.

And something else that she wasn't going to acknowledge.

Kyoko took her time preparing herself outside of the door, staring at the wood as if she might learn life's great purpose there. Her hand slowly moved to the doorknob, feeling the cold bite of metal against her palm and fingers. She needed to do this. It was for him, after all. _This is nothing. We've shared a bed before._

_ But only as Cain and Setsu!_

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, peeking only her head inside. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the bed, but they had yet to grow accustomed to the dark. All she could make out were the the bumps of the pillows and the sheets balled up to one side. She sighed before moving her body fully into the room, closing the door quietly to keep the light from waking him. If he hadn't spoken yet, demanding why she was there, she was sure that he must have already fallen asleep.

"Tsuruga-san?" she murmured to the darkness, wanting to let him know that she was there. "Tsuruga-san, it's me. Mogami Kyoko." There was no answer from the seemingly empty room. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that there was no Ren-shaped lump on the bed. She glanced around the room, worry coming back to the pit of her stomach. Where could he be? Had he, perhaps, been kidnapped?

No, that wasn't possible. Even though Cain Heel was a separate character from Tsuruga Ren, the actor had to have the abilities that the character possessed. She'd seen him take down his enemies with only a punch; there was no way someone could have forced him to go anywhere.

As a million scenarios flashed through her mind, Kyoko couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. She should have checked on him the moment she got there. What if he was hurt somewhere and had been there since she'd gotten the call from Yashiro? He could need to go to the hospital!

With that thought in mind, she spun around, determined to go out and find him, no matter where he was. She would drag him to the ER if that was what it took.

She took one step towards where she supposed the door must have been, only to be stopped when she hit something warm and solid...and naked. Her hands immediately came up next to her head, pushing her away from what she had hit. But she was kept close by two cuffs coming around her wrists.

Head swinging up, she found herself staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. They were narrowed on her and there was something behind them that drew out the demons from her Pandora's box. Swirling around the two of them, they mumbled appreciatively, causing the hair on the back of Kyoko's neck to stand.

"What are you doing here?" She knew that voice. It was definitely Ren, but weren't his eyes brown? Why did he sound so angry that she was there? The features she could make out of his face were drawn tightly together, annoyance etched into his forehead and mouth. She had never seen his handsome face that way and it frightened her. What had happened? Had she done something to upset him?

But then that smile crossed over his face, the one that warned her of the Emperor of the Night's appearance. Before she could make a sound, he pulled both of her wrists up so she was forced against him, his eyes glittering with something she didn't want to see.

Yanking against his hold, she whispered, "Tsuruga-san, stop! I just came here to check up on you for Yashiro-san. Please, let me go!" True fear was working its way through her, even though she knew that Ren would never hurt her. But it was the feeling that was coursing through her that was so frightening. She wasn't supposed to ever feel this way for a man, whether it was now or thirty years down the road. She'd sworn to herself that she would remain pure for the rest of her life, focus on her career and never worry about a man.

So why did she suddenly _want_? She knew what this Ren was offering; it was just like at the Dark Moon party. She was feeling a split second of want and soon she would come to her senses.

Right?

It had helped that she had been in a public place, that it had felt like so many people were watching her. Now, though, it was just her and Ren in his _bedroom_, standing close enough for her to feel his every breath and movement. If she wasn't careful, she would forget her vow. She had to start thinking straight again, find a reason why this couldn't happen.

_He's drunk._

Though the smell wasn't pouring off him as it had other drunk men she'd encountered, there was a slight scent of it coming off his breath, though not enough to make him seem drunk. No, she couldn't even be sure that he was, unless she had seen the evidence. Which she had. And she couldn't take advantage of this situation, no matter how much she _wanted_.

He just kept watching her with those strangely blue eyes, reminding her of things that she was never going to have. Shouldn't she focus on the fact that she was still only eighteen? And Ren was twenty-two! She needed to start thinking straight! She needed to remember the real reason she was there!

"Tsuruga-san—"

"That's not my name." His voice was low, the smirk gone from his face, but not the look in his eyes. He was watching her intensely, as if she were the last life preserver in the ocean where he was drowning. Even though he didn't sound angry, his eyes flashed as he spoke. "You never call me by my name, do you? Despite how long we've known each other, how _well_ we know each other." He pulled her arms until she was impossibly closer. A smile spread across his face at her gasp. "Is it because you don't like me? Or maybe because of how _much_ you like me?"

She knew that he was in full on Emperor mode at this point, but she didn't know how to snap him out of it while protecting herself. Slowly, she started to pull away, making sure to do it in small increments so as not to alert him. "You're my sempai and I'm you're kohai. I show you respect because of that." _Keep calm. Get out of the bedroom. Away from temptation._

Her plan to ease away might have worked...if Ren weren't the one she was easing away from. His gaze narrowed and he said, "Ever the professional, aren't you?"

Head lowering, he captured her lips before she could react.

She was frozen for a moment, disbelieving that _Tsuruga Ren_, Japan's number one actor, was kissing _her_, a girl who couldn't even be loved by her mother. This was different than Sho's kiss. Where Sho had been determined to win, Ren was teaching a lesson, punishing her for the slight of not using his name.

As his mouth moved against hers, however, she couldn't help responding. When he let go of her wrists to wrap his arms around her waist, bringing her closer, her arms naturally went around his neck. Unlike Sho, Ren wasn't forcing her mouth open with his tongue, but easing it, allowing her to do it herself. To choose where she hadn't had the ability to before. And how could she _not_ respond? He was giving her an experience she had never had before.

But she needed to come to her senses. At some point, at least. Right now, she just wanted to let him kiss her.

Except he didn't seem okay with keeping it just lip contact. His hand at the small of her back forced her closer, bringing her stomach into contact with an _area_ of him she had never thought she'd touch. Just as she gasped against his mouth, he started forcing her backwards, towards that too large bed that called to her with a terrifying voice that made her want to run away.

As they took step after step backwards, she pulled away from him, only to find his lips trailing down the side of her face to her neck. "Ren," she said without thinking, hands flattening on his shoulders to shove him away. "We...we have to stop. You...don't know what you're doing." She wasn't very convincing; her voice was weak and breathy, no conviction behind it. Because she was losing her thoughts to the strange feeling spreading through her body.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Ren murmured against her skin, but there was something different about his voice. He _wasn't_ in control; some other part of him was. Kyoko couldn't be sure if it was a new character of his or something much deeper. But he wasn't acting the way that Tsuruga Ren would. He was someone much different than himself.

She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes closed as she tried to take control of her body. She needed to get through to him; she couldn't take advantage of him the way that she was. Just because he was the reason the locks were coming off her box again, her body was convinced it was okay.

If what was happening continued, how would she ever be able to face him? The locks would never go back; they'd be broken forever. She'd be lost in him, completely immersed in him. And she would never get away from him as she had with Sho.

_Sho_.

She clung to the thought of the blonde menace, the object of her revenge. If there was anything that could give her power, it was the memory of when he'd torn her life apart. Everything that she had known had fragmented at that moment. The anger and overwhelming sadness gave her strength.

"_Tsuruga-san_," she said, voice cracking with unshed tears. Clenching her eyes closed all the tighter, she hissed, "Enough!"

That seemed to catch his attention much more than the hands now slamming against his shoulders, shoving with all her might. His head rose, blue eyes catching hers, which only served to bring more of her reservations to the surface.

But he still wasn't Ren. Whoever was inside of him and in control had a vise-grip on him that wasn't going to let up any time soon. He stared down at Kyoko as the Emperor, a smirk stretching across his mouth. Bringing her closer, he leaned down until their faces were only centimeters apart. Her heart stopped at the look in his eyes as they locked with hers, at the complete sincerity and conviction in his tone. "I don't think you really mean that, _Kyoko_." The intimacy of how he said her name was enough to send shivers up her spine and he most definitely noticed. "In fact"—another step that brought her closer to the bed, keeping her as tight against him as was possible—"I think you'd be more upset if I _did_ let you go."

Again, her lips were taken by his, but the urgency was gone. Now, he was taunting, easing responses from her by stoking her anger. He was determined to bring out everything within her that would work to his advantage.

Such as Natsu, who was willing to use any means necessary to get what she wanted. As Kyoko desperately wished for a way to have Ren, to be with him without losing herself, to give in to the _want_, Natsu was mocking her in her head. She called her weak, pathetic—letting him just take, take, _take_. It was time to give him back some of his own medicine. Whether he woke up from whatever trance he was in or not.

Struggling to control her created character, Kyoko didn't realize how far he had gotten her across the room until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the mattress. Her shock as she tumbled backward—followed closely by the body of Ren—was enough to give Natsu a brief moment of strength, the power to break into Kyoko's consciousness.

Practically purring in anticipation, her control over her host's body made a hand go to the back of Ren's head, tangling slender fingers in thick brown hair, forcing his mouth closer, if that were possible.

With that, the urgency returned. A snarl seemed to be torn from the intoxicated actor's mouth, his hands flying to the back of the orange-haired girl's thighs, bringing them just far enough apart for him to wedge his hips against the core of her. Still not completely in control of herself, Kyoko gave a small gasp before a cat-like smile curled on her lips. When he rocked against her, rubbing the tell-tale sign of his arousal to try to calm himself, she cried out.

The unfamiliar feeling was enough for Kyoko to shut Natsu back in her corner of the young actress's mind. Panic filled her, though it wasn't fear of Ren that assailed her.

_He'll never forgive me._

_ He'll tell me that he never wants to see me again._

_ What if I'm no good?_

_ He'll just break my heart; he doesn't love me back. And then I'll never be able to fix myself again._

Acknowledging her feelings was enough to give him the upper hand. No matter what she thought, whether he loved her or not, she couldn't make herself _fight_. Even as his lips once again left hers, even as his hands skimmed up and down her sides before unbuttoning her blouse, she couldn't stop him from taking what he wanted or herself from wanting to give it to him. She just wanted to _love _him; she wouldn't be able to make him love her back.

"So soft," he breathed as his hands cupped her breasts through her bra, his mouth tracing the line of exposure. "So pale." His voice was husky, still holding that almost violent undertone, though it was fading quickly. She squeezed her eyes closed as he froze, knowing that he would snap out of it soon, that he would yell at her, kick her out. Then he groaned an apology before he somehow tore the bra from her, the shirt quickly taken from her body to meet the tattered remains beside the bed.

His lips latched onto one of her nipples, one of his arms hooking underneath her hips to lift her and drop her down in the middle of the bed, her head cushioned by downy pillows.

To her surprise, his mouth felt...good. The pressure sent pleasure pulsing through her, making its way to the center of her, where it mingled with the strange—but not unpleasant—feeling that had accompanied his first thrust against her. Throwing her head back, she couldn't help but bury her fingers in his hair, holding him closer as she let loose moans that she would never be able to hold back anyways.

She could feel his smile against her skin, making her shiver in awareness. Those long, strong fingers were skimming down her exposed stomach, each touch bringing goosebumps in their wake. Unerringly, they made quick work of her jeans, undoing the button and zipper faster than lightning. That same hand snaked beneath the material, staying above her panties, but in no way proper at all.

Two fingers pressed against her most private part through the thin barrier of cotton, the only part that no one had ever felt before, except for her. Where Sho might have grabbed at her chest, taken her first kiss, and grabbed her multiple times by the arm, Ren was going to take the only thing that she had kept sacred.

As if he knew her thoughts were sneaking away from him, he rubbed against her quickly, with just enough pressure to catch her attention. Her back arched in shocked pleasure, her breast forced deeper in his mouth, her core into his hand. He chuckled, as if he were pleased with her reaction, the sound muffled against her skin.

Moving to the other nipple, his finger circled a bud of nerves just above her entrance, shoving aside the material between them.

The pleasure was...intoxicating. She had always wondered—from what she'd learned about giving birth and having sex for the first time—why women would still do it, why they wouldn't simply forgo it. And now she knew. If she wasn't careful, she would definitely become addicted to this feeling he was giving her, to the knot tightening in the pit of her stomach as it became harder and harder to focus on anything other than where he was touching her and what it was doing to her.

Her eyes flew open when she felt his finger press against the opening to her, forcing itself inside her tight sheath. A moan tore itself from her throat, her hands—which had both gone into his hair at some point—tightening. That was when his lips left her skin, his head lifting so his eyes could catch hers.

She could see that he wanted to watch her every reaction, soak in every emotion that passed over her features. For once, she couldn't make herself care. It was too hard to as his finger slipped further inside her, careful to be slow.

It was surprising that she had actually gotten so...wet. Of course, she wasn't an idiot; she knew that was what was supposed to happen. But never before had it happened to her. Now, it was hard to ignore the liquid seeping from her entrance, no doubt dampening his hand and definitely his finger. Even though the feeling he was drawing from her was a huge factor to the dampness she felt, the dirty thoughts running through her head were helping.

Looking into those blue eyes that she had long since gotten used to, she almost didn't catch the predatory flash in them, the possessiveness that transformed his features.

Her heart clenching in fear, Kyoko tried to think of reasons to stop him, despite the feeling he was wringing from her. She had to find the strength, once and for all, to force him away, to end this dream-like night. It was one thing for him to realize that he was with her, but she couldn't stand the thought that he might be thinking of the girl he was in love with, the girl he'd told Bo about. Wasn't that only reason he would look at her in such an owning way? He wanted to be with her, but would make do with Kyoko.

She was done with people making do with her.

"Tsuruga-san," she breathed, trying to keep her body from tightening around his finger as it slowly began thrusting within her.

He smirked, saying in a taunting voice, "Not my name..."

Finger plunging harder into her, careful not to go too far where he would meet her virginal barrier, he watched as she tried to form words, her hands clenching on his shoulders, her eyes squeezing shut before flying open moments later. She tried to hold his gaze, a deep flush of arousal spread across her face. "R...Ren..._Ren_," she murmured before crying out as his thumb circled once more around that bud of pleasure once again.

His smile only widened as he leaned forward to give her a reward—a kiss against the crook of her neck, making her shiver all the more. "Good girl," he rumbled just before he pulled his finger nearly all the way out of her.

Whimpering, Kyoko caught eyes with him, her breathing ragged, her face blushing beautifully. "P-please d-d-don't st_op_!" The last word ended on a shriek as she fell back, one of his fingers joining the other inside of her.

Something was wrong. That strange knot in her center was tightening too much; soon, it would have to burst open. But could she handle anymore of this pleasure? Wouldn't her body simply combust if he gave her anymore? No matter how she worried, however, she couldn't keep herself from forcing her hips down, bringing his fingers more firmly within her, his thumb against her. Oh, God, if she could just have a little more...she would gladly die for this kind of feeling. Forever she would be reaching for that peak that she knew he was hurtling her towards, ready to push her off the moment she got too close to the edge.

And, sure enough, he did. As she started to clench around him, her moans growing louder and louder, he was more forceful, easily moving faster and faster until that feeling within her exploded.

Crying out, her body felt like it would lift from the bed and float away, pleasure spreading through her like warm blood. Her mind was wiped completely blank as she searched for the power to return to Earth, grasping blindly for gravity.

But he wasn't about to give her time to recover. In a flash, his fingers were out of her, her jeans and panties joining the rest of her clothes on the floor. With only his pajama pants to worry about, Ren easily shucked them, grabbing her hips immediately afterward to bring her closer to where he was kneeling between her spread legs. There was no time for her to take in his powerful physique—or any other part of him for that matter—before he was kissing her senseless, taking himself in his hand to line up with her entrance.

_Too big_, was her first thought as he pushed against her, demanding to be let in. Despite his kiss, terror began to set in and she pushed futilely against his shoulders, trying to force him away once again. _We won't fit. It's going to hurt._

His urgent kiss instantly became one of coaxing, reminding her of all the times he had protected her, when he could have hurt her but hadn't. Comforting. That was what he was doing. Though he'd been rough since he'd caught her, he wasn't going to hurt her. He was going to do everything he could to keep her from feeling any pain.

But could he do that? In the end, wouldn't he just leave her?

Still, his kiss was intoxicating. She was beginning to forget about anything relating to pain, any possible problem that might arise. She couldn't care less if he didn't fit, if it hurt; her mind wasn't able to even think of it as a possibility. All she knew was that this was Ren, her sempai and protector, who would never let anything happen to her.

Then he was forcing himself inside of her, stretching her with slow, measured thrusts. She had to break away from the kiss to catch her breath as it stuck in her throat. He lifted his head, watching her intently, keeping his eyes locked on her face, as if he were drinking in every feature to memorize.

As he moved deeper within her—slowly, allowing her to adjust—she knew that pain was crossing over her features, that there wasn't a chance that he didn't notice it. Not with the way he was watching her. She clenched her eyes closed once more, wishing that she could make herself invisible that way, that he wouldn't see the pain that was clear on her face. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as he worked more of himself within her, not wanting to ruin the moment as they became...joined.

Gentle lips were once more on hers, his rasping voice murmuring against them. She heard the encouragement, the apology. It would only hurt for a moment; he was taking care to hurt her as little as possible. If she would just trust him, he would keep the pain from amplifying, he promised.

Then they both paused as they felt it. Kyoko peeked one eye open, hoping to see what Ren was thinking as he touched that thin barrier that kept her from being fully his. He was holding himself up with his hands on either side of her, staring down at her, jaw tight as if he were doing his best to hold himself back.

"God, Kyoko, I'm so sorry."

With those words, his lips were back on hers, one hand lifting her hips as he forced himself the rest of the way inside of her. She cried out, her eyes filling with tears at the sharp pain, though it wasn't nearly as bad as she had been led to believe. He groaned against her, unable to stop the second thrust he gave at the feeling of her around him, wet, hot, _tight_. In his mind, there had never been anything better. Every woman before was nothing compared to this moment he had with the orange-haired girl that had stolen his heart.

But he controlled himself after that, shaking with the effort. He had to wait until her pain subsided, until she could once again move without hurting. Luckily, after realizing how _real_ this was and who he was with, he'd managed to gain some control over the monster that had taken over his body. Still, Tsuruga Ren had little more control than Hizuri Kuon when it came to this girl.

"R-Ren," she breathed a few moments later, the movement causing her walls to rub against him. _Please, God, just stop moving. I can barely control myself as it is; don't show me that face that will just undo everything I've done._

Yet he looked up at her, panting with the need to move, to continue thrusting inside this part of her that was his alone.

She swallowed hard, murmuring in embarrassment, "You...you can move again. If you w-want."

Those big amber eyes staring up at him, full of trust...in _him_. She trusted him. As hope bloomed in his chest, he couldn't help himself. Enough was enough and his control was gone anyways.

With a growl, his mouth went back to hers, resting his weight on his arms as he pressed fully against her. One solid thrust, then another, and another. He couldn't help it; he started moving faster, harder, listening to her moans against his lips for any sign that she might be in pain. When nothing came, he gave himself over to the feeling, welcoming it.

And she was caught once more in that tidal-wave of feeling. Everything was rushing through her, the pain forgotten, and there was nothing for her to grab on to. The rapids were leading straight to that waterfall and there was no way she wasn't going to go over. In fact, it was going to be sooner rather than later if he kept up that perfect rhythm, hitting her somewhere deep inside that she hadn't known existed.

Then it was happening. Her body tightened, clamping around him. The strength of it made him shudder in response, growing harder for just a moment within her before both of them hit that peak, were thrust over the edge and into the deep water.

The feeling of her rippling around him was too much; he couldn't hold back.

As he gave a shout and warmth began to fill her, her feelings only amplified, becoming all the more mind-blowing.

He couldn't stop himself from dropping his entire weight to her, his head resting just above one of her shoulders, his breathing shallow and fast. His head spun with the fact that she was there with him, that he had finally taken the woman he loved without hesitation.

If his mind wasn't so full of other things, he might have remembered the one thing that they—_he_—had forgotten, something that could cause many problems in the future.

But as he rolled to one side, pulling her into the circle of his arms, he couldn't help pushing all thoughts from his mind, allowing her to curl into him before they both drifted off to sleep, small smiles curling their lips.

_She had done the unthinkable, but couldn't bring herself to face the consequences._

Kyoko woke several hours later just as the sun began to rise over the horizon, black giving way to blue, then purple, then red, and finally orange and yellow in the sky. She was warm, comfortable, nesting in the arms of the man she loved. There was absolutely nothing that could have gotten her out of that bed.

Except guilt.

As memories of the night assailed her, she remembered how she had taken advantage of the drunk state her sempai was in, how she had willing taken the spot of the girl he truly loved. There was no mistaking it; in her selfishness, she had done things with him that he would wake up to regret. Then her worst nightmares would come true and she'd be left broken; no amount of tape and glue would put the pieces of her heart back together.

Opening her eyes, she saw his beautiful face just above hers, looking peaceful and happy. He seemed so...calm in sleep, innocent. She wanted nothing more than to let the backs of her fingers run down his cheek, to make sure that he was real. Had Ren ever seemed so content before? There were no worry lines or creases in his face; he was just happy.

And when he woke he wouldn't be.

Panicking, she started to pull away slowly, not wanting to wake him. If she could just get away, maybe he wouldn't remember. If she could pretend like it never happened, he might just forget about it and not abandon her.

With a rumbled complaint, Ren tightened his arm around her, still asleep but obviously waking. He rolled to his back, taking her with him so she was stretched across his chest. She gasped as she felt something prodding her, just as it had last night when he'd rubbed against her.

The memory brought a shiver of awareness through her, that wetness returning, though not in the same amount. _No, no, no. I have to leave. I _have_ to._

Gently disengaging herself from him, cringing at the small twinge of discomfort between her legs, she stood at the side of the bed, scooping up her clothes under her arm. She was careful not to make a sound as she crept out of the room, keeping herself from looking at his sleeping form again.

She disappeared into the bathroom, quickly dressing, though her bra was useless. She'd have to bring it with her; she couldn't leave any evidence of the night before in his apartment. It would just be a memory in her mind—her heart—and that would be that.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she stuck her head out of the bathroom and found he was still asleep, she tiptoed to the kitchen, taking out a piece of paper and a pen. He would know that she had cleaned up; a small lie wouldn't hurt, right? She had to explain why she'd been there and keep any suspicion from what had actually happened.

As she heard him starting to shift more and more in his bed, she hurriedly wrote a note, leaving it on the counter for him to find should he be able to leave his room.

_Sempai,  
>Yashiro-san called me last night, telling me that you might need me to come over. I cleaned up for you and left out a few aspirin and some food for when you wake up. Also, I set your phone's alarm so that you aren't late for your filming today.<br>Please feel better, Tsuruga-san.  
>Mogami Kyoko<em>

Putting down the letter, Ren snarled in anger, the sound echoing slightly in his now-empty apartment.

He'd awoken after what he had assumed was a dream, one that he had never wanted to leave. He was barely able to hold back his disappointment at the thought that it had all just been made up by his mind, taunting him.

But there was definitely some things that made him realize that it might not have been a dream at all. First, after lifting the blanket, he'd found that he was, in fact, naked, though he never slept naked, not even when he drank as much as he had the night before. Another tell-tale sign that there was something up was the fact that the bed was still warm next to him and there was a definite hand-print just above his heart, created by body heat. Not to mention the little bit of blood on his sheets, which had nearly frozen him on the spot.

_Her cringing beneath him as he tried to control himself, to protect her from anymore pain._

Jumping from his bed, he'd quickly yanked on his pajama bottoms, calling for Kyoko as he searched his apartment. She was no where to be found, at least not in his home.

Then he'd found the letter.

Now, he was furious.

Was she trying to pretend as if nothing had happened? Did she think that he would just let her get away that easily? Even if she hadn't entirely wanted to be with him, that didn't mean that they didn't have to talk about it. What he had forgotten the night before hadn't slipped his mind this morning and he knew that they could have a very real problem soon, if the timing were right.

Going to his phone, he quickly dialed her number, listening to it ring once, twice, three times. Then it went to voicemail.

He couldn't help staring at the screen, shocked. She'd _ignored _his call. As if nothing had happened, as if she were busy.

Hissing in a furious breath, he slammed his fist into the wall, fury eating at him. If she thought she was going to get away so easily, she had another think coming. He wasn't going to let this go, not without a fight. They had much to discuss and he wasn't going to let her cower and hide.

He practically flew around the apartment as he got ready for the day, hearing his phone alarm go off just as she'd said it would. It sounded like the drums of war to him, signaling the battle he was in for. He would take no prisoners, leave no survivors. Even if he had to corner Kyoko, giving her no place to run, he would. If she wasn't going to come to him willingly, he'd take her by force, plain and simple.

_She'd done such a good job avoiding him. Until now..._

Three days that Kyoko had stayed as far away from Ren as possible.

Three days that she'd ignored his calls.

Three days that she had dodged him, not even bothering to cover up the fact that she was running from him.

The first day hadn't been a problem; her schedule had been so full of LoveMe work that she hadn't had the time to even worry about him being around.

The second day had been much harder; she was expected to do a fan Q&A with the rest of the cast of Dark Moon for a mid-season treat for the loyal viewers. She hadn't missed the looks he'd thrown at her whenever no one had been watching. That was why she'd carefully chosen a seat far enough away from him that there was no chance that he could come towards her.

That was also the day when she'd started to wonder whether he had actually remembered what had happened, if he knew that it was real. But then again, he wouldn't have been so quiet for so long, right? He would have been coming after her much harder, probably following her whether she had to work or not. Right?

The interview had passed quickly and she'd disappeared without hesitation afterward, pretending not to hear the others calling for her. She hadn't wanted to take the chance that Ren might corner her to ask about That Night.

Now, the third day, was becoming very eventful, hwoever.. She was at LME, running errands all over the place for the President and Sawara-san. At first, she'd been glad to hear that Ren was actually at a photo shoot that would probably last the entire day, meaning that she wouldn't even be at LME when he'd be getting off work.

But then Sho had shown up at the office, stomping towards her with clear intent in his eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to take the chance that her running would lead her right to the one man that she actually _needed_ to avoid. So she'd gone toe-to-toe with him, uncaring of anything he might say to intentionally annoy her.

"Why did you ignore my call yesterday?"

Confused, she'd simply crossed her arms over her chest, glancing up at him in annoyance. "Shoutaro, I don't know what you're talking about. I've gotten no calls from you."

An argument had started then, just as they always seemed to when the two childhood friends came into close quarters. After several minutes of going around and around in circles, Sho finally huffed out a harsh breath before demanding, "Where's Tsuruga, anyways? Isn't he almost always your shadow?"

She hadn't been able to stop herself from stiffening, a blush creeping across her cheeks, and she knew that he was going to notice and know that something was up. So she tried to scoff it off, but she was too late; his eyes were already narrowing in knowledge.

Another argument ensued as he growled at her, ordering her to give him answers she had no intention of providing. It wasn't long, though, before he was fed up with that argument as well, intending to trick the answer out of her. Looking up over her shoulder, he said, with a jerk of his chin, "Maybe I'll just ask _him_ what's going on."

Jumping at his unintentional warning that Ren was behind her, she glanced quickly over her shoulder, just as eyes that were once more gray caught hers. Flinching, she hid her fear as best as she could as she looked back at Sho. "Go ahead. I have work to do."

Then she ran, though it wasn't much of a run. If she could lose herself within LME, he wouldn't be able to find her either. And Sho would definitely cause at least a few minutes of pause; especially since he was encroaching on Ren's "territory", so to speak. If she could just get far enough away in that time, there would be no chance that he would really be able to find her.

Somehow, she made it to one of the conference rooms without being stopped by anyone. It wasn't the one that she was supposed to be in, but at least she could hide out for awhile there. And the schedule said that this would be empty for at least another half hour. She could clean it while she waited, say that she must have found the wrong room.

A knock sounded at the door, however, and she answered it before she could warn herself that it might be someone she didn't want to see.

"Kyoko."

She froze, didn't bother looking up into the man's face. She knew exactly who it was, didn't doubt that she was about to get her ass _chewed_. Anger was thick in his voice and she knew that it was past the point of the scary gentleman's smile. Did she dare to even glance up to check and see?

"We have to talk."

Without thinking, she grabbed the door in both hands, intending to slam it closed, only to find one of his hands pushing it open easily. Inch by inch, despite all of her fighting, he swung the door open, standing just inside the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching her with obvious intent, demanding she be honest with him. She wasn't sure if she could possibly be in the room with him without acting like a frightened rabbit.

He took a step closer to her, noting that she was definitely terrified. She was shaking slightly, though only someone very close to her would be able to tell. She was careful to keep their eyes from meeting, instead watching anywhere else around him. But he couldn't help how angry he was, the way he moved towards her.

"I would like to know what _exactly _happened the night you were at my apartment."

She blanched at the words, but didn't back down. Instead, she seemed to clamor for the power of Mio, finally catching his eyes. Standing up straight, she gave him a small, pleasant smile. "Didn't you get my note, Tsuruga-san? Yashiro-san called me to ask me to check on you, so I went over. I just cleaned up and left."

If he hadn't known her as well as he did, he might have believed her. He might have been able to accept the reasoning she gave him. But there was still fear in her eyes.

_She thinks that I don't remember. She's trying to hide it from me._

Smiling darkly in return, he began to crowd her, walking her towards the corner of the room. She backed away from him, keeping the smile in place on her face. When her back hit the wall, the grin only barely wavered, until his hand met the wall beside her head, making it possible to lean in close to her face. Smiling brightly, he murmured, "Oh? Well, you see, I think you're keeping something from me, _Kyoko_."

Immediately, she froze, unable to move. He knew. He remembered. And he was just about to scold her into the next century. Then leave and never look back.

Tears filling her eyes, Kyoko brought her hands up against his shoulders, ducking her head so that her face was hidden from him by her bangs. Fingers tightening into the material of his shirt, she whispered with a sob, "I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san. I...I let it go too far. I shouldn't have done that. _Please don't leave me_."

He was shocked. She was...apologizing. She hadn't run from him because she was angry with him; she'd run because she was afraid _he_ was angry with _her_.

Could she really believe that? That he would be angry with her because _he_ had taken her? Honestly, it wasn't as if she could have fought him that night. Besides, the only reason he was angry _now_ was because she had spent half a week avoiding him, not giving him a chance to talk to her about the fact that they hadn't used protection of any kind. If anyone had the right to be angry over what had happened that night, it was _Kyoko_, not Ren.

"You...can't be serious," he said, trying to keep nearly hysterical laughter from bubbling up. But he was so relieved that he couldn't help himself. His forehead went to her shoulder as he shook, chuckling silently despite himself. Even though she was rigid under his touch, that didn't stop the happiness that was spreading through him.

He brought his head level with hers, smiling broadly at the anger and embarrassment mingling in her eyes. With another laugh, he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her into his chest. Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how much weight came off my shoulders when you said that, Kyoko. I've been so worried that you would never talk to me again these past few days. Hearing you say that you don't want me to leave you is more than I could ever hope for."

She was frozen against him. "You...you aren't mad at me?"

Leaning away from her but leaving his arms where they were, he said, "Of course not. Well, not for that. You shouldn't have avoided me for so long. We have something _very_ important to talk about."

The look that came over his face was almost enough to send her running again. His eyes were filled with that predatory lust that had been there before, but it was also mixed with something else, something protective. They dipped low, glancing at her stomach before he met her gaze again. She swallowed hard, waiting for him to explain.

Sighing, he knew that she hadn't realized what they had forgotten. "Kyoko, the other night...we didn't use anything to...protect ourselves." She blinked up at him, still not understanding what he was getting at. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, not wanting to have to spell everything out for her. "You could have gotten...pregnant."

Her eyes went wide, her mind obviously running at a million miles a minute before her hand went to her mouth. "You mean...I...we might have...made a _baby_?" Both of her hands met on the lower part of her flat stomach, gaze dipping to look at her joined fingers. Then she glanced back up at him from within the circle of his arms, a gleam of disbelieving happiness in her eyes.

She had to stop with the cute, innocent face. Otherwise, even if they weren't pregnant now, they would be soon. He was barely able to control himself around her as it was; now that he'd had her, he didn't know if he could handle this kind of test. And the way that she had asked him? God, he needed to remember that they were in LME and someone could come in at any moment and catch them.

Holding in a possessive growl, he pulled her closer, breathing, "You're going to be the death of me."

They stood there, holding each other, until a knock sounded on the doorframe, reminding them that the door was in fact open. Turning around, they were surprised to find Yashiro and the President standing in the doorway, smiling as if a plan was coming together.

Not that Kyoko or Ren really minded.

_Phew. Seventeen pages. Hell to write. But I feel that it needed to be. I hope you all enjoyed this story and I would very much enjoy if you guys would tell me if I should continue this! (:_


	2. Together

_I can't believe the number of reviews for the first chapter! And they just keep coming! So I've decided to continue this, but it will only be a total of four chapters. I want to keep to how long yet simple the first chapter was, so this will not be a long story. Thank you all that reviewed/alerted/favorited!_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat!.  
>Also, Sho's new songPV is "MakeDamnSure" by Taking Back Sunday, which I also do not own. I would suggest going to listen to the whole song on YouTube.

Together

_Time has past and the couple remains a couple, but for how long can it last?_

"Ren!" Kyoko cried, squirming out from under the assault of his mouth. "Stop that! We have to go to LME!" She desperately tried to duck out from his hold, kicking until she was free to sweep her legs off the edge of the bed. She held the blanket up on her chest with one hand, the other fist on her cocked hip. "How unprofessional will you act, _Tsuruga-san_?" she demanded, though it wasn't vicious with the content sparkle in her eyes. She knew how much her use of his last name bothered him, so it had become something that she used to make a point.

With a flare in his eyes, Ren swung out his arm, easily catching her around the waist to bring her back on the bed and on top of his chest. "But I _love_ being unprofessional." He kissed where her jaw became her neck, gently disengaging her hand from the sheet around her. "Besides, we have more than enough time to make it to the agency...after." He rolled so that his long body was stretched out over hers, a smile on his face. With a slow, languid kiss, he pulled on the blanket around her, murmuring how beautiful she was in the morning light.

It had been two months since their first night together. Since they'd spoken in the conference room, many things had come to fruition.

Kyoko had, tearfully, moved out from the Taisho and Okami-sama's care and into Ren's apartment. They'd both decided that if they were going to have a child, they should be living together, especially considering both their schedules. Since the Dark Moon party had aired, Kyoko's fame had shot through the roof, though she was still doing dramas, not movies. Besides, she was spending most of her nights there anyways; it was the only logical thing to do.

At the three week mark, though, they'd found that there wasn't going to be a baby. Neither had known whether that was a good or bad thing, whether they were happy or not. Though they were glad that they hadn't done something as life-changing as create a baby, they had grown more accustomed to the idea and it had been nice to think of.

They hadn't gone public, however. Since Ren's address was need-to-know, the paparazzi were unaware that he now had a permanent roommate. Lory and Yashiro were pushing the pair to out their relationship, but neither thought that they were to the point where they could handle it. First, there was the fact that Kyoko didn't want to seem like she was using Ren to increase her popularity; until she had enough acting under her belt, she couldn't announce that she was paired with the Tsuruga Ren. Not to mention the large, walking problem that seemed to show up at the worst possible times.

Fuwa Sho.

Over the time that Ren and Kyoko moved in together, got used to each other's presences every day, Sho hadn't made an appearance, which allowed them more time to grow closer. Unfortunately, one of the biggest jobs that Kyoko was offered was a reappearance in another of his PVs.

His fans had greatly enjoyed her part in the "Prisoner", even went so far as to say that it was like the killer angel was a better fit for the demon. Until then, Sawara had been overlooking the offers, worried about having to find a chaperone for her to make sure she didn't do anything crazy. But the President had given the thumbs-up for her to be a part of it.

Once Kyoko heard about the offer and was given all the information on why she was being asked to return, she had felt there was no choice other than to participate. She didn't want to upset the core group of her fans by denying them a part they had practically gotten for her.

After accepting the job, she had tried for days to find a way to tell Ren that she was working with _that guy_ once again. Would he be furious? What if he kicked her out? She didn't want to ruin what they had by making him lose his trust in her. Surely, with this new step in their relationship, he would know that she wasn't plotting against Sho or trying to go back to him. Ren was a part of the business, too; he would understand why she had to take the job.

_Now's the time,_ she decided, knowing she would have to say it before he completely removed thought from her mind. "Ren, I have to talk to you about something," she murmured, chanting in her head to keep focused. When he didn't stop his slow kisses, she brought her hands to either side of his face, gently disengaging the touch of his lips from her body, though it left her feeling bereft. "It's important," she said.

He blinked down at her before that natural smile came to his face. Playing with a strand of her hair in his fingers, he answered, "Okay. As long as it's important."

Now that he was smiling at her like that, she didn't want to ruin his mood. She could only image the dark gleam that would come to those beautiful blue eyes—she'd learned that he wore colored contacts—when she mentioned Sho in their bedroom, _in their bed._ This was supposed to be their sanctuary, where there was no one else in the world but them. And she was about to completely ruin that.

Staring up at him, she mumbled incoherently, "Part...Sho's...PV."

Ren tilted his head to better hear her, having caught nothing of what she said. But when he asked her to repeat herself once more, it wasn't much better. Sighing, he said, "Kyoko, you're going to have to speak up. I can't understand what you're saying when you are so quiet."

Paling noticeably, she ducked her head beneath the blanket that separated them, shouting, "I was asked to do a part in another one of Sho's PVs!"

Everything stilled at her announcement. She didn't dare to breathe, felt Ren tense up above her. The light from the window—which would race across the opposite wall—stopped, not so much as a flutter. The air-conditioning system no longer purred, the soft whirring of parts completely silenced. Even noises from the outside world were quieted, as if there were no one else in the world but them.

After one long second, Ren's clenched fists unfurled and she heard a soft chuckle above her, making her peek over the edge of the blanket. "Is that all?" he asked with a smile, resting his chin in the valley between her breasts. "That's not so bad, Kyoko." _As long as there are no kissing scenes between the two of you._ "Besides, you'll have to meet up with him at some point, right? It will be much better for you to keep it in a professional setting."

Kyoko mulled over his words, wondered if he actually meant them. Deciding not to push her luck, she grinned in return. "That's true. I mean, I'll just be coming back here anyway, right? It's not like he'll be able to corner me."

Ren's smile broadened, but he still wasn't pleased to say the least. Especially since their conversation made it impossible to get morning nooky. Unless... "I need to shower; care to join me?" He didn't bother to try and hide "The Emperor", as Kyoko called it, from his tone.

With a naughty smirk, she purred, "I'll race you to it."

_You can't keep everything from the press..._

Two days later, a blonde man stood in the center of a crowded city square, unable to make himself move. It was as if no part of his body would respond to what he wanted it to do, as if his mind were completely shut down. All because of a sight that had barely caught his eye, much to his manager's fear. She had been trying her best to block any sign of it from his view, but he stood too high over her. Now, he couldn't make himself do anything more than stare.

High up above his head, on the largest billboard in the square, was a picture of Kyoko. Though she was no longer the Kyoko he had grown up with, he would have recognized that look on her face anywhere, the depth of feeling in her eyes shining brightly. She was completely transparent and it was that that threw him.

She was so surprisingly...beautiful. Where had the girl gone that had been plain and almost off-putting? There was a fire in her golden eyes that hadn't been there before. It was different from when they'd been younger; there had never been a reason for fire in her eyes then. It was even different from the fire that leaped into her eyes whenever he crossed paths with her.

No, this wasn't a fire of anger or hate. This was the fire that came into his fans' eyes when he came on stage or passed them in a hallway.

She was in love and willing to fight to stay that way.

And she was staring up at Tsuruga Ren.

It was obvious that the picture had been taken when neither had realized. Otherwise, she would have been standing farther away from that damn Tsuruga. There was no way she could be so cozy with that actor, not when she was hung up on _Sho_.

Damnit, that was how it had always been! She'd always been by his side, always loved him above everyone else. She had taken bullying—that she thought he hadn't known about—teasing, and his mood swings without so much as batting an eyelash. Until she'd heard his true motives for bringing her with him to Tokyo, she'd been willing to work sixteen hour days just so he would have anything he wanted. Wasn't that how it was supposed to be again after he'd taken her first kiss? Women were supposed to be tied to the person that took their first kiss for the rest of their lives.

What if Tsuruga had taken her second?

The thought, unwelcome and unholy, came to his mind, filling him with rage. His rival wasn't supposed to be able to take over her heart. No, she was Sho's and he would fight that stupid man for her until the day she returned to him.

It disgusted him. _He_ was the one she'd become an actress to defeat. _His _kiss had been her first. So why was she looking up at _Tsuruga Ren_ like that? This was much deeper than kouhai and sempai. He could handle respect; it would make her efforts for vengeance more interesting if she kept Tsuruga in high regards. But if she thought that he would let her fall in love with his enemy so easily...

She had another think coming.

Somehow, he managed to look away from Kyoko's face, turning his gaze instead to Tsuruga's. The actor's hair, normally so perfectly coiffed, was in slight disarray, as if he'd woken up and only ran his fingers through it. One long arm was straightened, hand pressing against the glass of a door to hold it open for his companion. A white V-neck sweater—not too tight, not too loose—and dark, worn-in jeans only amplified his already long and lean frame. But what really got to Sho was the grin on his face. It wasn't the frightening too-polite smile that had thrown the singer when the two had met. Nor was it the challenging smirk that would come to his face whenever he interrupted a tense moment between Kyoko and Sho.

This was a truly happy smile, as if there were no place in the world he would rather be than at the girl's side.

What the hell? How could Japan's number one actor fall for plain Kyoko just as she did him? There was no way! Though Sho hated to admit it, the bastard could have any woman he wanted; all he had to do was ask. But he had _fallen in love_ with Sho's Kyoko?

The sick prick.

Dozens of reasons for why that was wrong ran through Sho's mind. She was eighteen; Tsuruga was twenty-two. She was practically an innocent farm girl; he was a famous actor. She was oblivious; he could get _anyone_.

And he'd chosen Sho's property?

_I have to get her back. No matter what._

The headline beneath the picture read "Are Tsuruga Ren and Kyoko-chan an Item?" The question made his heart hurt at the same time his blood reached full boil. The press could blow things out of proportion, couldn't they? It wasn't too strange to think that a male sempai might give his young, female kohai a ride home from work to protect her; it didn't mean the two were on a date.

Right?

Even with his limited memory of what the LME office looked like, Sho knew that it wasn't anything like where they were leaving from. No, this almost seemed like a restaurant or theater or even an expensive hotel. Had they actually gone on a _date_? Maybe Tsuruga or Kyoko had confessed to the other and now they really were an item.

_No_, Sho thought to himself. Th_at would be suicide for both involved._ Tsuruga would lose almost his entire fan-base and Kyoko would be targeted by those angry fans. The actor's entire public persona revolved around the fact that he was available and just needed to find The One. And Kyoko simply wasn't famous enough to survive dating such a high-profile actor. She would start getting treated as if she had used her relationship—the thought of that word being used to describe the two of them made him sick—to gain fame.

God forbid they got a combined "couple" name and then broke up. All hell would break loose.

Turning away from the billboard, Sho knew what he was going to do about this little development. He wasn't about to let this atrocity go without a fight. No, he would destroy this before it went too far.

Then he would bring her back to his side and keep her there.

"Sho," Shoko said nervously as his strides became more purposeful, bent on a specific goal. "Sho, please don't cause problems. Kyoko-chan has gathered a huge portion of your fans as her own after her work in 'Prisoner' and we can't jeopardize her agreement to be in the next PV—" Her words cut off when the singer stopped mid-stride, his entire body stiff as he slowly turned to look back at her.

The expression on his face was, to say the least, terrifying. Much as he had after his last incident with Kyoko, he was smiling with evil, perverse pleasure, as if he had finally gotten his upper hand.

But what could be going through his mind? He still had to _write _the song for the next PV; could he be forming a plan against—for—Kyoko before they even knew what would happen? One look at his face told the curvaceous manager all she needed to know.

He definitely could. And would.

_How much stress can one couple withstand?_

Two weeks of dodging the paparazzi was almost more than Kyoko and Ren could stand. Since the picture of them leaving the restaurant had hit the press, people everywhere were trying to get more pictures of the two together. Most were hoping to either prove or disprove the rumor of their relationship; others just wanted some memorabilia.

Which meant that they were being attacked morning, noon, and night. Kyoko, who had never dealt with such a thing in her life, had no idea how to properly answer their questions without giving away any information before speaking to President Takarada. Everything moved too fast for her, too many questions were thrown at her. Finally, she could only take the offer Lory had given her over the phone: until he got back, she would be driven too and from work only by LME security.

Today, though, was the day Lory _finally_ returned from his vacation. Ren and Kyoko would be able to talk to him about what he thought they should do in their situation.

Ren could already hear the older man's advice. _Announce your love to the world!_

"I don't even understand _why_ you feel like you need to talk to the President about this," Yashiro said in a bored tone. "You should just come out with it. Everyone knows now anyways." He was looking out the window, not paying much attention to anything in particular. Ever since Kyoko and Ren had gotten together, he'd lost his personal form of entertainment. With the two of them already so lovey-dovey, he had nothing to aim for.

At least, that was what he let his client think.

A muscle twitched in Ren's brow as his hands tightened on the wheel. He reined in that reckless side of his personality, however, and replied through slightly clenched teeth, "I really don't care whether we tell the public or not. But I'm not the one whose reputation could be destroyed. Kyoko has much more to lose than I and she wants to talk to Lory before we make any decisions."

Yashiro rolled his eyes, though internally he grinned wickedly.

Everything was going as planned. He and Lory had practically connived the entire situation since they'd noticed the difference in both Ren's and Kyoko's actions months before, knowing that something had definitely happened. At that time, they hadn't realized just _how_ far it had gone, but now they completely backed the couple's every move. The President had been careful to keep their relationship hush-hush—bribes and threats, you know—until the time when the two would be strong enough to handle it.

Now, they were.

_And soon, there will be a big princess-style wedding! Then Roko babies! They better make me a godfather soon!_ Yashiro's thoughts ran rampant, fluttering around the question of whether the children would look more like their father or their mother. _Black hair with golden eyes or gray? Long, lean frames or short, petite ones?_

Ren knew better than to interrupt when that dreamy expression was on his manager's face, fearing what he would say. Whatever he was thinking about, it had to have something to do with his obsession with Ren's relationship and, honestly, there was nothing he wanted to hear less about at that precise moment.

He and Kyoko hadn't spoken about the Sho's-PV situation since she'd originally brought it up. He'd pretended like he was all right with it; she was just trying to further her career, he knew. But he didn't trust Fuwa as far as he could throw him. After all the games he'd played with Kyoko and his need to monopolize her, he couldn't be sure how far he would go now that Ren and Kyoko have become "Roko". The boy's pride was fragile, and he was obviously used to getting what he wanted. If he tried to take the orange-haired actress from Ren, Kuon might make an unfortunate appearance and do something he wouldn't be proud of.

Pulling up to LME, Ren sighed as he saw the reporters swarming around the entrance, trying to question anyone they could find. Expecting them to attack him the moment he stepped out of the car, he was surprised when his feet hit the ground and no one came near him. Both he and Yashiro searched for the reason that he was ignored, meeting the answer at the same moment.

Kyoko. She was struggling—in her obnoxious pink LoveMe uniform—to get past the piranhas without causing any harm to anyone. Her polite attitude was getting her forced every which way, men and women shoving cameras and microphones in her face. Anger flared within Ren at the sight of her being hassled and before his manager could stop him, he was storming towards her, a dark aura surrounding him even as a gentlemanly smile stretched his mouth.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice strong and resounding against the montage of questions.

The paparazzi turned their faces towards him, in awe at the sight before them. Tsuruga Ren with a bright, almost too-shiny smile was standing right in front of them, mere feet from the other half of a country-wide scandal. What were the chances that the two would show up at almost the same time? It was a gold mine of a day!

"Tsuruga-san, what is your relationship with Kyoko-chan?"

"Are the two of you dating?"

"How long has this been going on?"

Clearing his throat, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Kyoko slipped inside, disappearing in the sanctuary of their office building. "I'm sorry, but this building doesn't allow media reporters on the premises." He kept his tone and features gentle. "If you call to set up an interview with my manager, I'd be happy to answer your questions." _Or not. Thank God Yashiro schedules me so I have very little down time._

Without further ado, he moved through the parting crowd, following after his girlfriend to make sure that she was all right. He knew that if this continued much longer, she might have one of her infamous breakdowns, where she would assume that it was her fault.

And he wasn't sure he could deal with that at the moment.

_A musician that likes to cause trouble could throw another wrench in the couple's plans._

_I just wanna break you down so badly, in the worst way._

The last words echoed through the room as everyone gathered for the first demo of Sho's new song sat in silence. Had there ever been such a dark love song on one of Fuwa Sho's CDs? The feeling that emanated from the sound of his voice, even on the unedited demo, was one that caused a small stir of panic as well as desire. There was a strange truth to the song, implying that Sho actually _felt_ those feelings towards someone.

Would his fans enjoy something so almost-dark from a man that they saw as a boy? Or would this be the push he needed to become less boyish and more manly?

"Sho," Shoko finally said, breaking the silence, "when did you...uh...write this?" She was afraid to ask because she was afraid of his answer. She was sure that it was directed at Kyoko—was there any doubt of that to begin with? But how would this change the tenuous truce between him and a certain _actor_ that was involved with Sho's childhood friend? Was he ready for the fall out of releasing such a song?

A smirk crossed his face. "Just came to me, I guess."

So, yes, it was when he'd given her that frightening smile after seeing that billboard.

Sho leaned forward, suddenly all business, looking everyone in the room in the eye. "I want this to be the song for my next PV. I want to release this as soon as possible and I've already got the ideas for the video's storyline." _She wants to go out with my rival? Fine. I'll make her relive the pain that made her run._

He wasn't out to win her anymore. Over the past two weeks, his thoughts on the matter had shifted. No, he didn't want her back; he wasn't taking Tsuruga Ren's sloppy seconds. But he would remind those two of his hold over Kyoko's entire life. He would show them what would happen when someone took what was his.

The main producer was watching him with an unreadable expression locked behind intertwined fingers. Slowly, his hands met the table and he stood, pushing his chair back. He said nothing for a moment before a dark grin—matching Sho's earlier one—spread over his face. "I like the song. You give us the right idea for the PV and it will be released in less than a month."

Smiling in mutual male knowledge, Sho went on to describe his vision for the PV, careful to mention that the actress was already chosen.

"Hmm. Interesting." The producer crossed to the window, looking out with crossed arms. "And the actress is the one that signed that contract? The one in the gossip magazines with Tsuruga Ren?" At the quick answer from Shoko that kept Sho from answering, the man smirked. "Perfect. This is going to be absolutely perfect."

_Kyoko leaves the meeting for Sho's PV distraught and may make a fatal mistake..._

There was no way. He couldn't have actually...Sho wouldn't...would he drudge up that entire ordeal? Was he really going to make her reenact something that had torn her entire world apart? What was she supposed to do? She couldn't back out now, but could she really do this? Could she show the world exactly how she had been treated by Sho when they'd come to Tokyo?

Could she really relay the love she'd once felt for him?

Striding quickly down the Akatoki hall, she darted into a private bathroom—ignoring the fact that it was for Executives Only—and pulled out her phone, desperate to hear Ren's voice. He always knew how to put things into perspective, make her feel better.

Kyoko dialed him quickly, trying to hold back the tears that choked her. She listened to it ring several times, pain blossoming in her heart the longer it took him to pick up. _He's at work; of course he isn't going to pick up. I'm probably just being a nuisance. I can't interrupt him._

Just as she was about to hang up, she heard a click and then Ren's soft voice asking, "Kyoko? Are you done with your meeting already?"

Though the hurt subsided within her chest, she couldn't stop the lump in her throat from changing the tone of her voice. "Hello, Ren. Yes, it just...it just ended a few minutes ago." She tried to control the wobble in her voice, tried to contain the tears that she knew were going to come whether she liked it or not. With the paparazzi watching her every move, the constant battering of questions, and now this Sho development, Kyoko had no idea how to deal with the stress. She couldn't help but think that life would be better if she just went back to her natural hair-color and moved back to Kyoto.

She should have known that Ren would immediately catch on to her mood. "What happened?" he asked quickly, something akin to panic—or maybe anger—rising in his voice. "Did the paparazzi do something? Don't say anything until the interview next week; just walk right past them like the President told you to."

Her shoulders shook as she felt the first tear track down her cheek. "C-could you just come pick me up? Are you done with work yet?"

Sympathy and sadness invaded his tone. "I'm sorry, Kyoko; I won't be done for at least another hour. Would you like me to have LME send you a car and driver? They'll bring you back to the apartment." There was a hopeful note in his voice, relaying the worry that he felt for her to walk home alone. They had talked about her being more careful with the paparazzi hounding her, even described how she should react in that situation. If someone got too close to her or started harassing her to the point of physical involvement, she was to run into the nearest building and stay there until one of LME's drivers or Ren was there to pick her up.

Wiping at her cheeks, she forced her voice to be cheerful and said, "Oh, no, I'll just call for a taxi. I don't want to put anyone out."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Thank you, Ren," she answered with deceptive calm. "I'm sorry I interrupted your work."

She could practically hear his eyebrow raise on the other side of the line. "I'm just finishing up my lunch break, so it's fine." A long pause could be heard before he murmured, "You know I love you, right? If you need me, I'll always be here."

Her heart skipped a beat before a teary smile crossed her face. "I love you, too. Goodbye, Ren." As she hung up, she internally berated herself for lying to him, but she didn't want him to worry while he was working. Soon, she would be able to talk to him in person and they could decide where to take things. Of course, she wouldn't tell him that Sho was the reason she was upset; she would just tell him about the plot of the PV and ask him what he thought she should do.

_The paparazzi were bothering me,_ she told herself as she left the bathroom, hurrying towards the exit before anyone could stop her. _I have to just let him think that's what was going on. If I tell him about Sho, he'll just get angry._

Though Sho hadn't said anything unprofessional to her during the meeting, she had noticed the smug smirk on his face when the producers had been describing what the story line was. He had hoped to wring this reaction out of her, wanted her to feel this way, as if her situation before had been a joke. If she let him know that he had succeeded by letting him see her tears, she would just be admitting defeat in their long, drawn out battle.

No. He wouldn't beat her.

She was just fine; the stress of the last few weeks was just weighing on her as of late. Soon, there would be nothing to worry about and she would use Sho once again as a stepping stone in her acting career.

The taxi pulled up soon after she left the building and drove her directly to the apartment in silence. As she handed the driver the money, she smiled when he noted that she was Kyoko, the actress who'd played the scariest Mio in Dark Moon. When he asked for an autograph, she signed it haphazardly, answering all the questions he had before going into the building.

Once she was inside, she set about to doing her own form of therapy: cleaning. Unfortunately, she lived there now, so it only took her fifteen minutes to get everything done. With hands on her hips, she surveyed every possible place that she could have overlooked. When she admitted that if she scrubbed anything any more than she already had it would destroy said thing, she went into the kitchen, deciding that she would just waste some time making a large dinner.

And she would make Ren eat all of it.

An hour and a half after their phone call, Kyoko was in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the Western style dinner she'd been preparing. She heard the door open and couldn't help the smile that came to her face. It was half fake, half real; she always felt a flutter in her chest when he appeared, but she also didn't want him to think that there was still something upsetting her.

"Kyoko?" he called as he hung up his jacket and moved deeper into the apartment. "Where are you?" he asked, peaking first in the living room, then their bedroom.

"Kitchen! I'm making dinner." He was there in a flash and she turned her head over her shoulder to smile at him as she finished up with the mashed potatoes. "If you want to go take a shower, dinner won't be done for a little longer. The peppers and steak are cooking a little slower than I had anticipated."

He raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms over his chest. "I see you're doing better now." He glanced over his shoulder to note that the apartment was impossibly shinier than he'd ever seen it. Looking back at her back, he asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

He didn't miss how her shoulders stiffened slightly before they went back to their relaxed position as she turned towards him. A bright smile on her face, she answered, "I'm better now. It's just been kind of stressful lately, you know?" Turning back to her cooking, she added, quieter now, "I shouldn't have interrupted you at work for something so stupid. I need to get used to this kind of thing. I mean, if we're going to tell everyone about us anyways—"

"Did something happen with Fuwa?"

He knew that she wouldn't lie to him. He also knew that he should have guessed that it had something to do with that ass when she called him immediately after a meeting with him. Still, after the week that they'd had, he couldn't help jumping to the conclusion that it was the media hounding her once more.

There was a brief silence before Kyoko sighed and said, "Well, he certainly didn't help matters."

Something in her voice gave it away. The small deceit after worrying about this PV thing for so long was more than he could take. Moving swiftly and silently behind her after she turned off the burners, his arms caged her against the counter, his hand clenching the countertop tightly.

"Kyoko," he murmured in her ear, knowing he was acting like the Demon Lord she sometimes called him. "What are you keeping from me?" It annoyed him that she would still do this. He wondered if she would ever get past this belief that her problems had nothing to do with him. He always wanted her to laugh, to smile; he hated that she took on all her problems by herself, letting the world think she was unshakeable.

When her shoulders quivered against his chest, he froze, knowing that he had hit the mark with the Sho question. He couldn't stop his hands from tightening as the thought of that bastard upsetting her _again_ made him want to track the younger man down. Kuon was bubbling below the surface, furious that a stupid, spoiled little boy would hurt the woman he loved more than anything else. In any way.

Feeling a tear hit the top of his hand, he gently turned her towards him, pulling her into his chest. Her small hands tangled in his shirt and she sobbed into the material of his shirt. He said nothing, stroking her hair to comfort her until the last of her tears dried up.

After a few moments, she whispered against his shirt, "He wrote a new song for the PV I'm in. They want the storyline...they want it to be about what happened with he and I. I have to _relive_ the most painful experience of my life. And he was just making fun of me. All of this is to make fun of me."

Fury tore at Ren's stomach as he set her away from him. He stared down at her as he spoke, his voice shaking with barely controlled violence. "You mean to tell me that he...he's using your past to make a damn PV? And you're still going to act in it?" If he'd had the power to shout at her, he would have, but he couldn't with the sadness welling in her eyes. Her heart was breaking right in front of him and he could do nothing to help her. Nothing he said or did would make her feel better.

Nodding, she took a deep, shaky breath. "I...it's already been announced that I will take part in his next PV. I can't disappoint my fans! I never thought he would go so far. I...I thought that we might be moving on from that." Her eyes teared up again, even more heart-wrenching than they had ever been before.

"Did they give you a copy of the song and storyline?" She nodded again. "Let me see them."

She flew to her bag on the table, taking out a few sheets of paper as well as the CD she'd been given after signing the privacy agreement. Nervously, she bit her lip as he walked to the stereo they'd bought for when she wanted to listen to music while cleaning or cooking. As he pressed play, she blurted out, "The song is hurtful!" as if in warning.

His eyes widened as the lyrics started drifting through the room.

_You've got this new head filled up with smoke, and I've got my veins all tangled close._

_ To the jukebox bars you frequent, the safest place to hide._

"What the hell is this?" Ren demanded, but the song continued until it came to the chorus, making him want to roar in fury.

_I just wanna break you down so badly._

_ Well I trip over everything you say._

_ I just wanna break you down so badly in the worst way._

Eyes narrowed and leaping with fire, Ren turned off the music with the hard punch of his index finger. Without so much as looking at her, he stormed to the door of the apartment, grabbing his jacket before swinging the door open hard enough for the doorknob to hit the door and create a large hole. He didn't bother saying anything as he started out the door, only to be stopped when her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to yank him back.

"Ren, don't!" she cried. "You can't just go out and hurt—"

He spun on his heel in the doorway, snarling, "You need to bring this to the President! He needs to know that Fuwa is _picking a fight_!"

"He knows I won't do anything!"

"He knows that _I will_!"

Her eyes widened at the raw violence flowing off him in waves, terrified of what he was capable of for the first time. Beneath her fingers, she felt his fist clenching and unclenching with the need to hit something. There was something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, that was frightening in its own right.

Seeing the fear in her gaze, he jerked his arm away from her, slowly closing the door as he stepped back into the apartment. "The storyline is to hurt you; the song is all for me. There isn't a doubt in _my_ mind that he's using this to taunt you and I because of all the press lately. He can't get away with this."

"You can't hurt him! He might be a jerk, but he's still my friend!"

She realized her mistake the moment the words were out of her mouth. If her first thought had been Ren's reputation or any trouble he might get into for doing something so reckless, he would have understood and might have calmed down. But she'd yelled at him for Sho's safety and that was a button that never failed to set the actor off.

"Your _friend_?" he shouted, taking hard steps towards her that made her jump away. "This is the guy that _used you_, took you away from your childhood home _to be a maid_! He's harassed you, _kissed _you, and now he's making fun of you _publicly_! But, no, you're just going to let him!" Snarling, he backed her into the living room until she hit the back of the couch. "He's trying to hurt you! But you don't care; he's still in your heart after all." Jealous ate at him and he threw up his arms.

Only to notice how she flinched away from him.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. Whenever he got angry, she would flinch away, careful to keep her face turned. He remembered when she'd had the cut on her face during Dark Moon, how Sho had shown up with ointment to make sure it didn't scar.

All the pieces fit together and a new kind of rage filled him.

Hands going to her shoulders, he forced her to look at him as he growled, "He's hit you, hasn't he? He was why you had that cut on your face last year! And you're still protecting him?"

"Ren, I can't just forget my childhood! He was my best friend and I thought we loved each other! Why else would he have invited me to come with to Tokyo?" Now she was angry. Couldn't Ren understand that it was impossible for her to forget that Sho was the reason she was where she was? She was finally with someone who actually _loved her back_ and she never would have met him if it weren't for Sho!

His jaw clenched and he took a deep breath before his arms dropped to his sides. "So, let me get this straight. I'm not allowed to hurt him, even though since you came to Tokyo he's done nothing but hurt _you_?"

"Ren, he can do whatever he wants. At the end of the day, I'm here. With you. I can't help but want to protect that!" Angry tears formed in her eyes as she brushed past him. She paused where the kitchen and living room were separated, putting her hand on the wall as she looked back at him. "I won't let the two of you hurt each other. He's the past that I can't run away from. You're the future I want to run to." Turning away, she mumbled, "The food is probably cold at this point. I'll heat it up before we eat."

She left him standing there, anger still eating at him. Lory was definitely going to hear about this.

_A dark knight versus a spoiled prince._

That night, after Kyoko was asleep—in the guestroom; they hadn't spoken since the living room—Ren called the President. He had only calmed down slightly, enough to keep the violence at bay as he consulted with the only man he knew that could set up what he was looking for.

_"Ren, do you know what time it is? I know you don't have anything to do until the interview tomorrow, but I have an agency to run!"_ Lory cried, though he had obviously still been awake before Ren had called.

Rolling his eyes, the younger man demanded, "Do you know anything about Fuwa's PV? The one that Kyoko is supposed to be a part of?" As he spoke, he placed the CD into the drive of his laptop, downloading the song to send to the President.

_"No, I haven't, but that particular producer and I don't see eye to eye and therefore don't speak. Why?"_

"Sho's making the video about his and Kyoko's situation when they first came to Tokyo. I'll send you an email with the song attached, but it's obviously directed at me. The PV is his little jab at Kyoko. She called me practically crying after the meeting because she was so upset." He clicked through the computer, quickly sending the song off to the President.

A short pause. _"He's calling you out, I suppose? Be careful, Kuon; if you take the bait, it could ruin you."_

"I don't care. This is Kyoko we're talking about."

_"What did Mogami-kun say about all of this? Has she signed any contracts saying that she will work on this PV?"_

Ren shook his head as he said, "No. But she's worried about upsetting her fans by pulling out now. I don't think saying that it will interfere with her other projects will change her mind on this." Hearing Kyoko shifting in bed, he added, "I sent you the song. Listen to it, then call me back."

_"All right. Don't do anything stupid until I call you back."_

The two hung up and Ren sat back on the couch, wondering what could have possibly possessed Sho to actually do something as idiotic as pick a fight. He could understand why Sho was coming after him, but Kyoko was an innocent bystander. Sho had been the one to throw her away; now he wanted her back. Did he honestly expect her to return?

And where was the protective instinct that had made Sho save her from that Vie Ghoul clown? Hadn't he been so furious that he'd actually beaten up the other man? Where had that friend of hers gone?

_Doesn't matter. She just needs to be protected from him now._

A few minutes later, his phone vibrated in his hand. "Hello?" he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

_"This is not something we will allow Mogami-kun to be involved in. That fact that Akatoki has given one of their talents so much free run that he is allowed to possibly hurt two actors from another agency's reputations is unforgivable."_ Just as Ren was about to ask what the plan was, the President gave a heavy sigh full of defeat. _"But we can't out the agency. Already there are people snooping around Mogami-kun's real identity and if they unearth the fact that she's a minor and she's working for us without parental consent, we could be in for a lawsuit the size of which we might not be able to recover."_ There was another pause before Lory's voice continued, deeper this time. _"My hands are tied. Unless there is something that will keep Mogami-kun from being able to be a part of production for longer than a month, I have no power over the situation."_

"So you're saying that we have to let her do this."

_"When is she supposed to shoot the PV?"_

Ren wondered if she had told him the date and he'd forgotten it, but sighed. "I'm not sure. Probably in the next few days; there's a two day shooting period planned, I know, but other than that I don't know."

_"Then it must be after the interview, yes?"_ The President laughed. _"And don't boyfriends like to visit their girlfriends at work?"_

Suddenly, what Lory was getting at made Ren smile. Of course. After the interview, no one would think anything of it if he showed up at her shoot. Or spent the whole day there. And Akatoki couldn't keep him out of filming unless he caused trouble; they knew they owed LME big for all the times they'd kept their problems with Akatoki talents from the papers.

Oh, yes, Sho might have thought that he was getting the upper hand. But he wasn't going to be given the chance.

_Oofta. I hope you all enjoyed this! There are only two more chapters before the end of _Comfort_. Please continue reading and reviewing!  
>Also,<em> **CuddleMeBear**_pointed out that in the first chapter, Kyoko was 18 and Ren was 22. I will keep the ages at the original and I have changed them in here! Thank you so much _CuddleMeBear_! (:_


	3. Breaking

_Well, here's the third chapter. I was asked by quite a few people why each of the chapters are so long and that's because of the length of the first one. I like when the chapters are closer to being even, that way my readers know what to expect.  
><em>NOTE:_ I made a mistake last chapter that had a few reviewers confused. At first, I said that the interview was in the next week, then I changed it to the next day. I always intended for it to be the next _day_; I'm sorry for any confusion._

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat!

Breaking

_The interview is upon them and they aren't speaking._

It had to be one of the longest times they hadn't spoken since Ren had learned that she was the Kyoko-chan from his past. It had been far too long since the last time they said a word to each other and he was starting to think he was suffering from withdrawal. She hadn't so much as smiled at him, not even as they'd eaten breakfast that morning. Could he really go much longer—now that he was so used to the occurrence—without any happy Kyoko?

Besides, now they had the interview to worry about. It was in just a few hours and he didn't know what to expect from her. Was she going to stick to what they'd decided to say or would she announce that they weren't together, that things were taken out of context—breaking up with him in the process?

He knew that he had overreacted—slightly—but he couldn't get past the fact that she hadn't had a thought in her mind about him; she was too busy worrying about Fuwa's well-being. He couldn't even begin to describe the pain that it had brought him to know that Fuwa still had such a hold over her. How was he supposed to deal with the fact that the woman he loved was caught up in another man?

Running a hand through his hair as he sat loosely on the couch, he reminded himself that it really wasn't the case. It wasn't so much that she was still in love with the singer that had discarded her; she hated him for what he'd done to her. But he could see where it would be hard to completely give up on a life-long friendship. Still, could Ren convince her to forgive him, when she saw the part of him that he never wanted her to see?

He heard the extra bedroom's door open and close softly and his head immediately went up. His eyes meeting hers, he was taken aback by the look in hers. Though there was a little regret within them, there was an overriding feeling of being right hovering there. She truly didn't see anything wrong with her reasoning, nor did she really seem to care terribly much that he was obviously not doing too well after the fight.

And that only fueled the anger within him. There he was, trying to see her side of the story, and she refused to do the same for him. A part of him recalled Kuu and Julie's fights, where his father would try to make it up to her, see her side, but his mother would just "hmph" at his attempts.

Eyes narrowing, he noted that she jumped a little, but purposely held herself more rigid, moving gracefully into the kitchen. Standing up, Ren followed after, practically snarling when the door was closed on his face.

He slammed the door open and stomped towards her, noting that she was indeed afraid of him. Good. She should be.

"Good morning, _Mogami-san_," he hissed, grabbing the coffee pot—which he'd set to brew right when he woke up—to pour himself a cup. It didn't surprise him that she flinched at his use of the honorific. But could she expect anything different? She wanted to treat him like some stranger, he would do the same.

Once he got his coffee and took a sip of the—disgustingly—thick liquid, he moved to go right back into the living room, only to be stopped by a little chestnut-haired hellion with no sense of self-preservation.

Amber eyes simply glared up at him, arms crossed over her chest in a dangerous pose. She was furious, but didn't know what to say. Good, then he didn't have to listen and be swayed. Because she could do that to him. Quite easily, in fact.

He started to move around her but she followed after, keeping her gaze careful on his face. "I need to go get ready for my day. Unfortunately, I have an interview to get to. Please excuse me, Mogami-san." He purposely kept his voice low and stern, even though his control was slipping. Honestly, he just wanted to apologize and not care who was right or wrong.

But he couldn't keep letting her be distracted by Fuwa. He had to break her of it.

Side-stepping quickly, he made his way around her and back into the living room, ready to plop down on the couch despite what he'd told her.

"Damnit, Ren! Don't be a jerk!"

He paused at her words, turning a look over his shoulder to see her fuming just inside the hall. Giving her a raised eyebrow as well as a frown, he said, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. Did I hurt your feelings?" He knew that it was going to push her buttons full force that he compared his petty taunts to her Fuwa statement the night before, but he didn't care. He was going to infuriate her as much as she did him. "I can tell you I am very sorry."

Grinding her teeth, Kyoko demanded, "What is all this?" Tears were forming in her eyes, but she was obviously too angry to let them fall. "Because I don't want you to go hurt someone I was close to my entire life—"

"How about you try to see it from my point of view, Kyoko? Your first thought isn't about your boyfriend or what would happen to him if he touched a hair on that brat's head. No, it's all about the guy that you _used_ to be in love with who dumped you like rotten potatoes, _hit_ you—"

"You don't even try to see where—" she said, ignoring him.

"—I'm coming from!" he ended furiously.

Kyoko stormed straight up to him, stabbing her finger in his chest violently. "I won't ever let anyone else be the center of my life; not you, not anybody! My life is mine! I won't ask myself, 'I wonder how Ren would feel about this? I hope he isn't upset,' again. I've tried that before and it left me empty. Now I finally have something to call my own and I'm going to be proud of it!"

He grabbed her hand, effectively stopping her poking. "I'm not asking you to give up anything! I'm just asking you to think about things from my point of view. What if some woman from my past came and caused problems, hurt me? How would you feel?" He tugged the wrist up so she stumbled closer, his eyes flashing wildly. "And then, even worse, I protect _her_. Instead of stopping you for _you_, I stop you to protect her. How would you feel, Kyoko?"

"Let go of me!" she hissed, her free hand on his chest, shoving futilely to regain her trapped appendage. "I don't want you to touch me!"

Gaze flaring at the words, Ren's head—filled with thoughts of punishment and fury—ducked, taking her lips despite her arguments.

The kiss was as violent as they came. Though both were reacting, they also wanted nothing more than to win the war that was waging between them. The taste of disapproval was in both their mouths, but they couldn't help the need to press closer to each other.

As he pushed her heavily into the wall, her fingers tangled in his hair, threatening to pull it out with her ferocity. His hands lifted her, putting her head just a hair higher than his as he fought to hold back the urge to just rip her clothes off. He was pissed at her—fuming, really—and all he wanted to do was show her in the worst possible way. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

When she hissed his name as his lips left hers, he knew she was lost. Hell yes she was still angry, but that didn't mean his little kohai didn't want him back. Unable to resist any longer, Ren locked an arm around Kyoko's waist, easily keeping her up high as he maneuvered the room to find the couch. Though he'd always made love to her in the bed—or shower—before, he wasn't about to make a special trip across the apartment to do so. No, he wanted her wriggling beneath him right then and there, damnit, and he was going to have it!

As their bodies sank to the couch, the battle didn't lessen in the least. Her hands stayed clenched in his hair as his lips found her most sensitive areas. They moved quickly, restlessly from her jaw to her neck, down that slope to her collarbone. Her shirt was quickly dealt with and he set to the breasts just the right size for his hand. Moaning his name, she only spurred him on, even as he fought to show her torture that she might never be able to stand.

His lips trailed down over her flat stomach, past her navel. He made quick work of her pajama bottoms, practically throwing them across the room in his haste. He didn't even bother with her panties, just pulled them aside and set in on her.

Her back arched and she cried out as her hands once again found their way into his hair. Did she really think pushing him closer was going to make him give her the quick release she was dying for? No, he was well past the point of easy forgiveness, moving quickly into dangerous territory. He would keep her on that edge until she could stand it no longer.

Then he would drive her back all over again.

Suddenly, she was yanking at his arms tugging him up to meet her mouth as she desperately pulled his shirt over his head. Shrugging out of the material, he only broke away from her as far as he had to, lips crashing to hers all over again. All of his senses were focused on her, his mind only able to think of her. Her touch, her scent, the feeling of her. Even her sounds were driving him mad as he undid the fly of his jeans.

Letting his pants go down only as far as it took for him to release himself, he pulled her hips towards him, entering her with a certain amount of ferocity. She cried out, but that didn't halt his attack. He thrust powerfully within her, drawing groans and moans from each of them.

But it wasn't enough for him. Growling, he pulled away from her, wrapping his arm around her waist to flip her to her knees. Never before had he had her this way, without being able to watch her face as he made love to her. Somewhere, he admitted to himself that he wasn't making love to her this time; it was a feeling that he had never felt with her before. But his anger was still bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to choke him. He didn't know why, but he was sure that this would fix everything between them, show her how he felt.

Of course, as he entered her from behind, he also knew that it wasn't possible.

_Time for an interview to shock the country._

Kyoko hadn't said anything to Ren since they'd collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. She'd whispered an apology to him that she didn't think he'd heard, tears filling her eyes. As they'd laid there, sweating and trying to regain themselves, she knew that she was hoping for too much that he would try to see things her way.

But she also knew that she couldn't expect him to. Just like he couldn't expect her to. She should have spoken with him about it instead of only feeding his—and her—fury and pain by shouting at him. Now, however, she felt like she had pushed him away; being with him hadn't been as close of an experience as before. Was he going to end it all in front of the entire country? They could work through it, couldn't they?

"Kyoko-chan?" a stage hand said, peeking her head in the door. Her long black hair was left loose and curly, bright blue eyes meeting Kyoko's nervously. There was an ear piece in her ear that no doubt connected her to everything that was going on. She was beautiful in a more traditional Japanese way, a way that Kyoko had longed for when she was younger, hoping to catch Sho's eye.

_This is no time to think about that blonde idiot,_ she berated herself.

"Um, you're on in just a few minutes, Kyoko-chan. Would you mind accompanying me to the stage?"

Nodding with a fake smile, the actress stood gracefully, hands folded in front of her. "Thank you," she said quietly, bowing. "Please take care of me."

The stage-hand flushed—beautifully, of course—and held the door open for Kyoko to walk out. The actress was suddenly aware that her short, bright hair-style made her feel childish in comparison to the tall woman she followed. Was that the type of woman that Ren would move on to once he broke up with her? On national television, no less.

_No, breathe, Kyoko_, she thought. _Your life shouldn't revolve around one man. Never again, remember? You have come too far to allow this to happen._

"And now, without further ado, we'd like to introduce our interviewees for the night! First, we have a young woman that has petrified us with her terrifying performance as Mio from 'Dark Moon', Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko made her way onto the stage, waving and smiling like her whole world wasn't threatening to fall apart. She walked up to Hikaru, giving him a firm handshake, before sliding into her seat on the couch. It was even more nerve-wracking to be a guest on the show rather than a giant chicken. She controlled her twitching hands with the power of Natsu, letting the character seep into her consciousness.

As the applause died down around her, she took a deep breath, knowing that her boyfriend—probably-soon-to-be-ex—was the next to be announced. Natsu reminded her that there was absolutely no way she would allow her to make a fool of herself—or Natsu. This was all going to be smooth and easy.

Hikaru smiled at her, saying, "You look beautiful as usual, Kyoko-chan," though his voice couldn't be heard in his microphone. At least Kyoko didn't have to worry about being left alone. She had friends just like Hikaru that would stay beside her. Kanae would probably lead an anti-Ren campaign once he broke up with her best friend.

"Next up is the man on every woman's mind. Voted Japan's Sexiest Man, I introduce to you Tsuruga Ren!"

The sound that filled the room was ear-shattering. Girls were crying out as he walked across the stage, calling to him with little thought towards decency. Honestly, Kyoko was just glad that there was security lining the stage, otherwise there might have been a rather large mob storming the platform to get to him.

"Thank you all," Ren said to the audience, making her nearly slap herself. Of course he wouldn't forget what she had. "I'm very glad to be here, Ishibashi-san." He shook Hikaru's hand as the much shorter man nearly jumped out of his skin at being addressed by the giant.

Ren sat down next to her, just close enough to keep everyone guessing about their relationship. She felt like it was miles as he gave her a gentleman's smile.

Hikaru, who couldn't sense their tension, leaned forward in his own seat, crossing his legs. "All right, so I'm not even gonna beat around the bush here. Everyone is dying to know about the truth of your relationship: is Tsuruga Ren dating Kyoko-chan?"

Both froze for a moment, though their terror went unnoticed. The moment Kyoko felt Ren become rigid beside her, Natsu took complete control, her hand going to Ren's knee. She wasn't going to let him give up on her. No, she was going to fight as she never had for a man. That was her split second decision as Natsu led her on.

Beneath her hand, Ren relaxed as his own hand covered hers. He smiled—a real smile—to match her own as he glanced at her. "Kyoko and I are indeed dating."

The room went wild with fans and die-hards, screaming with either happiness or disappointment. Either way, it didn't keep Hikaru from speaking. "That was...really blunt of you, Tsuruga-san. I must say, I thought you would jerk us around a little bit more." He laughed, as did the audience members that weren't sulking. He shifted slightly to look at Kyoko. "So what's it like being the girlfriend of one of Japan's most eligible bachelors, Kyoko-chan? All of Japan is probably wondering!"

Chuckling, Kyoko leaned forward, though her gaze returned to Ren on its own. "I haven't been in a real relationship before, but I suppose it's just a normal thing." She looked out to the rapt audience then to Hikaru. "I mean, we argue and rail at each other, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other. It's just that we really need to work on our communication skills."

Ren squeezed her hand and, without hesitation, leaned forward to kiss her cheek. She didn't know if that meant that she was forgiven or what, but she was glad to wash away the last remnants of distance between them.

"How did the two of you get together?" Hikaru asked, completely devoted to the story. "We all know you were together on set for 'Dark Moon', but was there some great romantic gesture that one of you gave to the other?"

Ren did something so out of character then that Kyoko didn't even give a thought to a semi-truthful answer. He laughed, a loud and happy sound as he entangled their fingers to lift to his lips. "Actually, it wasn't much like that at all. At first, I believe we hated each other. Then, we slowly became closer until she started cooking me dinners and lunches. Finally, my manager—Yashiro Yukihito—called her one day, saying that he couldn't get a hold of me. She came over to my apartment and cleaned it top to bottom." Glancing over at her, he smiled reassuringly, letting her know that he had it under control. "I came home from a walk in the park to find the rooms squeaky clean and a little chestnut-haired woman passed out on my couch. That was when I finally decided to make it official."

The entire room 'aw-ed' as Natsu receded within Kyoko's subconscious, leaving her blushing wildly as he kissed the top of her head.

Hikaru glanced between the two of them, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "Well, Kyoko-chan, when did you start liking Tsuruga-san?"

Clearing her throat, she grinned shyly. "I'd have to say just after the filming of 'Dark Moon', at the post-filming party. He looked like a prince that night. Of course, I never thought he could possibly feel the same as I did, so I kept it to myself. When he asked me on a date, I was completely blindsided. But I'm glad he did." Glancing out of the corner of her eye at her sempai, she didn't miss the sudden flash beneath his gaze.

As Hikaru asked them more and more questions, finally getting onto a more professional topic, Kyoko realized that they could now go on real dates...without having to worry about someone seeing them. She could hold his hand as they walked down the sidewalk or share an umbrella with him if they got caught in the rain. He wouldn't have to wear his silly hat and sunglasses everywhere they went; they could just be a couple, without all the worries.

Excitement that she could barely hold back spread throughout her, making her twitchy. Her hand would clench on Ren's every so often as she thought of more and more things that they could finally do without worry.

"Well, folks," Hikaru finally said, turning towards the camera, "I'm sorry to say that that's all the time we have left for our sleuthing day. We will be back on next week with Bo returning from his hiatus and Takahashi Rumiko will be here talking about her newest manga series _Rinne_!" Once his words echoed through his microphone, the lights dimmed, allowing for Ren and Kyoko to cross off stage undetected.

The moment they were behind the curtain, Kyoko spun on the dark-haired man, saying in an innocent tone, "Do you know what this means, Ren? We can finally—"

He cut her off, quickly and efficiently, with his mouth descending on hers, his fingers tilting her chin up. It was a small, chaste kiss, but enough to catch her offguard. Smiling, he murmured, "I can finally do that."

Blushing furiously, she stepped away from him. "No! Well, I suppose you can, but we can go on a real date! A really real date where we go to a fancy restaurant and get all dressed up and have dinner like normal people and not have to worry about the paparazzi seeing us and..."

"And I can kiss you in public." He placed another quick kiss on her lips, chuckling when her face grew even redder. Throwing his arm around her shoulders to tuck her closer to him, he added, "But we'll do things your way. I know a great place that I think you'll like. We can go on Saturday, if you'd like." It would only work better into his plan.

She didn't even think about it. Nodding without hesitation, she cried, "That would be wonderful! But should I spend money on a new dress? Or will one of my old ones work? If it's really fancy, I could wear the dress from the post-shooting party for Dark Moon! It's still in great condition—"

"No!" he cut in, realizing his voice was just a little too stern when several stagehands glanced over at them. "I mean, I can get you a new one. One that suits the restaurant better. We can go shopping tomorrow night, if you'd like."

"Okay," she answered with a smile, wrapping her arm around his waist as they moved towards the dressing rooms. "But you can't expect me to let you act like Cain!" Her warning was given extra strength with her patented scowl. "One dress and _I_ have to approve of the price!" She turned away before he could use his puppy eyes on her, knowing that they would do her in whether she was herself or Setsu.

They stayed that way for the rest of the day, protected in their Sho-free bubble. With a bottle of wine and a couple of movies—that neither had seen or acted in—they had a date night that put romantic comedies to shame.

Unfortunately, they couldn't live in that bubble forever.

_The time has come for her to either face her past or be broken by it._

Sucking in a deep breath, Kyoko looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that she was actually going through with it, actually going to relive the humiliation of her move to Tokyo. Dressed in a maid's costume, she patted her wig—long, thick black hair that was cut simply, if a bit unfashionably. She felt completely exposed, which was no doubt the costume designer's and Sho's intentions.

But she couldn't let it get to her. If she let Sho continue to hurt her, her relationship with Ren might be hurt more in the process. Though they'd made it through their first real fight without much backlash, there was always the chance that it could end them the next time. All she had to do was keep herself calm, cool, and collected for the next two days, then Sho could be out of her life for good.

Kyoko had often wondered if someday she could forgive Sho, let go of that ball of hatred that might have decreased in size over the years, but was far from gone. Now, she didn't know if she could ever forget the pain he was intentionally putting her through. But she also couldn't muster up anymore hatred for him; it was a stupid fix to an idiotic problem. _Two wrongs don't make a right,_ she reminded herself as she moved towards the door to her dressing room.

They were waiting for her, she realized. There was a certain tension in the air that she couldn't place, as if everyone were holding their breath to see what would happen next. She was sure that some of them were just wowed that _she_ was the woman that Tsuruga Ren was dating, but the look of pity in Shoko's eyes told her that others knew exactly what was going on. And they could do nothing to help her.

Standing straight and walking tall, Kyoko moved towards the director—who stood next to Sho—bowing gracefully. "Thank you for making me a part of your project, Director-sama. I will do my best to act my part." Turning her attention to the blonde musician, she added, "Fuwa-san, it is good to work with you again. I hope your fans like this PV as much as the last one I participated in."

Something like annoyance—but darker—flashed in Sho's gaze before he smirked down at her condescendingly. "Yeah, let's see if you can get it right on the first take this time. Of course, you're more used to this kind of thing, right? Doing blindly whatever a guy says, hoping that he'll love you."

The tension in the room grew infinitely more strangling. She could hear the whispers starting to spread around, something he had known would happen the moment he said such a charged statement aimed at her.

It was then that she saw him clearly, probably for the first time in her life. There was no shield of blind adoration, love, hate, or even fury to muddle up her vision of him. He wasn't a prince sent to save her from the pain her mother had inflicted on her, nor was he her most formidable foe, hated as one would a demon.

He was a spoiled child, expecting everything to fall into place around him without any effort. He thought to destroy her, to ruin the small amount of pride in herself—in her talent—and break her down for good. He didn't like that the toy he'd happily thrown away could be snatched up by another, loved by someone else. He saw her as a possession, something she had promised herself she would never become.

It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer feared what he could or would do to her; he had no power over her. His pettiness didn't inspire disgust, but instead pity. He would never be able to grow up if he was allowed to continue on his chosen path.

Still, before she could smile and laugh—genuinely, not mockingly—at his words, a familiar voice rang out, calling the attention of everyone surrounding them.

"Fuwa-kun, how good to see you again," Ren said, striding easily towards the musician. "I hope you don't mind; I finished up with my work for the weekend early and I would like to watch Kyoko in action." Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close, dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I'm here for you," he whispered so only she could hear, inspiring more courage within her.

Smiling up at him, the chestnut-haired woman said, "What a pleasant surprise, Ren. I'm glad you could make it here." She turned her attention back to Sho, who couldn't seem to form a single word on this new development. "Well, Fuwa-san, would you like to begin?" Turning away from both of the men, she strode towards where she was supposed to shoot the first part of the PV, a surprisingly accurate replica of the old apartment she had lived in with Sho.

Back with the musician and actor, the tension was palpable. Everyone in the room hovered around in a circle, staying just outside earshot of the men; no one wanted to break into the intense electricity coming off both. They couldn't decipher which man was more frightening in this instance: Sho, with his tense body language and furious aura, or Ren, whose cool demeanor did nothing nothing to cover the blazing aura surrounding him.

Finally, Sho stood up straighter, fixing his own costume—some of his own street clothes. Brushing past Ren on his way to the set, he murmured quietly, "So, she slept her way to the top, huh?"

The older man's hand caught his arm before he could take more than two steps away. A pleasant smile split Ren's lips, but the intent in his eyes was obvious. In a friendly tone, he said just as quietly, "I suggest you treat her with a little more respect and stop acting like a child that lost a game. Otherwise, I will be the one you answer to." He released the musician, keeping his smile imprinted on his face.

To those close enough to hear any portion of what either man had said, it sounded like nothing more than a couple of acquaintances exchanging pleasantries. No one had been able to see the pressure that Ren had put on Sho's arm, nor had they been able to completely hear the exchange. No one would believe that Tsuruga Ren had threatened Fuwa Sho for something that they didn't know had happened between him and Kyoko.

After a moment of passing their thoughts on each other via male-telekinesis, Sho shrugged away, taking his place on stage, intending to make sure that both of them knew better than to mess with Fuwa Sho.

As Kyoko acted, she kept having to catch herself before she went out of character, since she knew the exact feelings this woman would feel by the end of the video. Her heart clenched, remembering the hate that had filled her veins, the pain that had torn through her like a tsunami. All she could do was hope for the strength to make it through the shoot, wait to break down once she and Ren were home.

The thought of him kept her going. Whenever she was able, she would glance over at where he stood beside the camera, arms folded over his chest. He would catch her eye, smiling comfortingly at her. She knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, that he would protect her from anything that could cause her harm, physical or otherwise.

So, somehow, she made it through the first day of shooting with only one NG that could be blamed on her. It was obvious that Sho hadn't believed she could do it, but she didn't really care. For once, this wasn't about using him or getting her revenge on him. It was actually about herself. It actually revolved around her and her feelings.

Crossing the stage to Ren, she went to her tiptoes, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being here today," she breathed, giving him a small grin. "I don't know if I could have done it otherwise."

He chuckled, bringing her close for a hug. "Yes, you would of. You're a fantastic actress and, whether I was here or not, you would have done a great job. Except for that one NG..."

Slapping him lightly on the arm as her face burst into a flaming flush, she said, "Don't poke fun at me, Ren! I don't point out how many NGs _you_ get!"

"It's hard to point out none."

Ren laughed as Kyoko argued with him on the way to her dressing room, teasing her the whole walk. Throwing up her arms in defeat—which forced her maid's skirt _higher_, if that was possible—she disappeared within the room, claiming that he was a mean old man. He called after her in a sing-song tone, "Now, you and I both know that isn't true!" He chuckled, imagining her sticking her tongue out at him at that very moment through the door.

"I'm guessing that you think it's okay for you to just walk in here and take the place over because you're Tsuruga Ren, right?"

No matter how many years passed, Ren was never going to have patience for that voice. Kuon bubbled beneath the surface, making him clench his fist to remind himself who and where he was before turning to Sho. "I came here to make sure that you didn't hurt Kyoko with your petty little game." Legs shifting apart and arms folding over his chest, he watched the boy with clear distaste, blocking the door to the dressing room behind him.

Sho sneered, his body language screaming that he was a spoiled brat. A flare came to his eyes before he spoke, watching the actor for a reaction. "I don't really care why you came here. In fact, I shouldn't have picked Kyoko for this project at all; a pretty girl would have been a better choice."

"Then you should have gotten someone else before you demanded she be a part of it. Do you really think I'm going to let you get a rise out of me?" The American phrase slipped easily off his tongue, accompanied by a dark smirk. "I've been through a lot worse than some little boy rivalry, Fuwa." His face suddenly lost all expression and he took a step towards the blonde man. "And I have no intention of letting you get mixed up in Kyoko's life again. The way I see it, you can stop all this spoiled little rich boy stuff and leave her alone, or I can physically remove your presence from her life."

A quick flash of fear went through Sho's eyes before he recovered himself. "Nice try at the intimidation thing. You think I don't know the limits of show business? Tsuruga Ren beating up a guy that's _younger_ than him for no apparent reason? You'd lose everything."

The musician was surprised when Ren gave a full, deep laugh. Leaning close, the brunette murmured in the other man's ear, "Who said it would be Tsuruga Ren that you'd be up against?"

As Sho stood there, shocked, Kyoko opened the door to her dressing room, stepping out with a freshly washed face and her own hair disheveled on her head. "Are you ready to go, Ren? I'm kind of hungry and I _know_ that you only ate some convenience store onigiri today." She glanced up at Sho, giving him a sincere—if somewhat distant—smile as she took Ren's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fuwa-san. Goodbye."

Chuckling as they left the musician, Ren wrapped an arm around Kyoko's waist, ushering her to his waiting sports car. "Oh, come on. It's the first time in months that I've eaten anything other than your home-cooked meals. Can't I have one slip up?" Gently helping her into the car, he leaned down to give her a quick kiss, only to be blocked by her hand over her mouth.

She mumbled something incoherent into her palm when he took his spot in the driver's seat, making him laugh a little more.

"I can't understand anything you're saying when you cover your mouth like that."

"I _said_," she began, pulling her hand from her lips, "that you can't kiss me until you eat something—"

His lips collided with hers, quickly and discreetly, knocking her a little off-balance, though she was seated. "I feel better," he said, moving to drive away. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he asked, "Do you want to go get that dress now? That way we won't have to hurry through shopping tomorrow after you're shooting is done. Maybe Jelly-san can even do your hair and makeup for dinner if we go now..."

Her eyes immediately widened with glee, a girlish squeal tearing from her lips. "Do you think she would?" she cried, nearly bouncing up and down in her seat. "Then we could look like a real couple! No one would ever believe that someone as plain as me was dating someone as handsome as you—"

Quickly stopping the vehicle—thank God there was a stoplight—he turned to her and said sternly, "Everyone would believe that you and I are together because you _are_ beautiful. And funny. A little childish, maybe, but definitely not in a bad way." He turned to face front once again, a small smile pulling at his lips as her face flushed bright red. "Plus, you're a really good cook. And everyone that meets you thinks you're the nicest person on the planet. You're a great actress—"

"Ren, stop!" she laughed, trying to hide her face while she covered her mouth.

Of course, he didn't.

_Now that _that's_ behind them, on to more important things._

"Ren-kun, no peeking! I told you it would only take me five minutes and you've given me two! Even I can't work my magic under such conditions!" Jelly Woods, the Witch of cosmetology, finally shouted, slamming his bedroom door shut on his face. "Go watch some TV! She'll be out when I'm done with her!"

"You can't beat her, you know. Nothing you do is going to stop her from doing exactly as she pleases," Lory said easily from where he stood a few feet behind Ren. "She'll sooner maim someone than let one of her projects leave before she's finished."

Raising an eyebrow at that, Ren replied, "I really couldn't care less. You two were supposed to be here an hour ago to do this. I have these reservations at a certain time _for a reason_." _Please don't let Dad have already started eating. The restaurant's gotta have something left for us,_ the actor thought as he pushed his hair back.

Moving to the living room, he sat on the couch carelessly, though his tux was easily wrinkled. The restaurant that they were going to was a very prestigious—and very _expensive—_place that boasted all of Japan's—as well as other countries' stars—top show business tycoons, from actors and actresses to agency presidents and producers. To show up late to his reservation that should have taken him months to get would mean a permanent black mark on his record there. He'd never been tardy for anything in his life as Tsuruga Ren, and he wasn't about to start on such an important night.

"Relax, Ren. You'll make it there on time, I promise. Besides, I'm sure even Kuu came wait a few extra minutes before eating."

Flashing the President a look that clearly stated you-don't-know-him-that-well-do-you, Ren picked up the remote, about to flick on the television.

"I _told_ you if you waited that it would pay off in the end. Aren't you glad you gave me those few extra moments to finish her up?" Jelly said from the hallway, grabbing both men's attentions. Stepping over to the President, she added, "Darling, you aren't going to believe how beautiful she looks in that dress. I barely needed to do anything to change her from simply stunning to breathtaking."

Ren was about to reply when Kyoko stepped into view, his heart stopping at the sight of her. Jelly had put in some hair extensions to lengthen Kyoko's hair enough to pull it all into a messy bun just below her right ear, letting a few curls fall from its precarious hold. The gold of her eyes was accented with light eyeliner and a touch of light green eyeshadow. Her dress was long, trailing slightly on the floor. It was a darker version of the green on her eyes, bringing out the red-orange tint in her hair and pallor of her skin. A slit went up her left leg, stopping at mid-thigh just before it would have become less-than-respectable.

At that moment, he really wished that he hadn't made reservations and that everyone would leave the two of them alone in his apartment. _That dress would be even better on the floor beside my bed,_ he thought before he could stop himself.

Kyoko seemed to catch him in his so-called Emperor of the Night mode because she raised one elegant eyebrow as if to tell him to keep his thoughts to himself. But then she gave him a wide smile, practically floating to his side as if the floor were moving for her. "Are you ready to go, Ren?" she asked. "Or do you need a couple minutes to get ready?"

Lory rolled his eyes as Jelly clung to him, walking without a word to the door. _I should have known that they would be _this_ kind of lovey-dovey_, he thought. _Best to leave them alone for a little while._

As the older man and woman left the apartment, Ren answered Kyoko with a grin, "I was just waiting for you." His hand went to the small of her back and he was completely taken aback when it met flesh. Sneaking a peek at where his hand laid, he couldn't help thundering, "Where the hell is rest of the dress?"

The material, soft and silky, flowed gracefully from her shoulders to dip around her sides, only coming together just above the line of decency. The fragile line of her spine was in plain view, showing off even more of her pale skin. She glanced over her shoulder at him, easily pulling off the haughty look he wasn't sure she was trying to pull off. "Don't you remember me showing this off to you yesterday at the shop? You said it was the best one you'd seen on me."

Shit. Caught in the act. "Well, you didn't show me the back." Of course, he couldn't really stop her from wearing it at this point. "Don't you have a shawl or something to wear over it?"

"I _did_ show you the back and you said it looked great! If I thought this would be such a bad idea, I wouldn't have gotten it. But they said that this was a style that princesses liked..."

Noting her coming tears, he said quickly, "No, it looks beautiful. I just...I never thought I'd see you in something like this." Turning her towards him, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "It looks stunning. I just needed some time to get used to it."

She gave him those big doe eyes that she had to know did him in. "Are you sure? I could just wear one of my old dresses."

"No, this is perfect." He smiled, knowing that at least Julie would enjoy Kyoko's new style, though he feared Kuu might pop a blood vessel in his forehead. So there would be someone else there that would help him when she got unwanted attention. Glancing at his watch, he quickly added, "But we should get going now. Otherwise we might miss our reservation." _We're cutting it pretty close as it is._

Grinning, she nodded her head, easily keeping up with him as he strode with purpose towards the door. He led her down to the parking garage where their limo waited, surprising her with the luxury.

"Why are we taking this?" she asked him in a whisper, hoping that Lory didn't take offense if he overheard. "What happened to your car?"

"This is a special night," he murmured in return, putting his forehead to hers. "I want you to be treated like a princess tonight."

Sebastian was an incredibly adept driver, getting them to the restaurant in half the time Ren had been told it would take. "We are here," the man said confidently from the front seat. "Mr. Tsuruga, Miss Mogami, I hope you have a wonderful night."

Lory practically shooed them out, waving his hands at them dismissively. "Go on, go on. Don't want to miss your reservations. Jelly and I have other things to attend to. Have fun on your little date." The moment they were out of the door—Ren first to help Kyoko step out—Lory slammed the door, Sebastian driving off as quickly as possible.

Almost immediately, they were hit with flashing bulbs of cameras from every direction, though they tried not to take any notice. This _was_ their first public date; everyone wanted to get the scoop, figure out just how far this little love had gone.

But Ren knew that this night would mean quite a bit more. He had asked his parents to fly in for the week; they'd been on a plane before they'd hung up the phone. He'd felt he had to tell them what he had decided the moment he'd come to his much bigger decision.

Hizuri Kuon was dead. Because of Kyoko, he was no longer someone that Ren could be. He didn't want to ruin how she saw Corn, her fairy prince, by telling her that he was really nothing more than a delinquent. So, he'd asked his parents to keep his status as their son a secret. Since Kyoko thought of them as parents, they would always be involved in their lives, but he could never go back to the life that Kuon had created. He was now Tsuruga Ren.

And he hoped Kyoko agreed to be Tsuruga Kyoko.

_Duhn, duh, duh!  
>So, I decided that I don't feel that Ren (in this story) would tell Kyoko about being Kuon. To him, Hizuri Kuon is nothing more than a distant memory that he wished he could forget. Before you ask, in this story Kyoko never finds out about his previous life. Sorry if you don't like it, but I prefer it this way.<em>


	4. ANNOUNCEMENT

THIS STORY, AS WELL AS ALL MY OTHERS, WILL BE RE-WRITTEN AND RE-IMAGINED. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME.


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